Two days, two app store news. Yesterday it was Google and there was a large discussion.
And today it is Apple, and I'm curious to see whether HN folks feel the similar passion. Historically, people pick up pitch forks for Google but give Apple a pass - so looking forward to the conversation here.
gpm · 3m ago
As one of the people objecting to Google's actions yesterday, I think I was pretty clear that I was objecting to them descending to Apple's level, not below.
This is the behaviour I, unfortunately, expect out of Apple.
kccqzy · 6m ago
HN folks won't feel a similar passion. Apple has a way better PR department than Google and the reality distortion field is still strong.
spogbiper · 13m ago
the article that caused such outrage yesterday was about Google making it more difficult for devs to deploy arbitrary software on Android mobile devices outside of the official store. This is something that Apple does not allow at all for devs on iOS devices (except in regions where forced to by law). I don't like Google's changes, but its still better than Apple's stance.
net01 · 52m ago
the developer had his app distribution rights removed in mid-July.
TorrentFreak are the first to respond to our emails, Getting the news out is hard.
(i am the one who alerted Ernesto, but i had no input in the article.)
There is no reason to assume otherwise, extrapolating from history, HNers will continue to carry water for Apple and perform the mental gymnastics required to validate this decision.
A bit meta, I lament the loss of the 'hacker' spirit that should be more pervasive here in general; no company should be above criticism, and actions ought to be treated with the same praise and disdain. Unfortunately it is not the case for a while.
techjamie · 7m ago
I would love to see iOS be unchained for users to do what they want with it. But in realistic terms, buying an iPhone comes with the baggage that you are basically opting into Apple owning your device for you.
So when stuff like this happens, it's kind of the expected outcome. Cue the lawnmower analogy.
This fuckery needs to stop. Apply the 10 percent revenue penalty and slap a 38B fine.
StopDisinfo910 · 1h ago
The EU already told Apple in April 25 that the preliminary findings regarding the conditions they impose on alt stores and developers distributing through alt stores are in violation of the DMA.
Apple fully knows they are looking forward to a huge fine. I guess they are banning a torrent app here to be able to tell: look the EU is sponsoring piracy. They are also trying to get Trump to intervene on their behalf obviously. Given how spineless the current European Commission is, that might even work.
To my fellow European, my advice remains the same: boycott American companies, stop voting for parties affiliated with the EPP.
bobajeff · 6m ago
As an American I would advise people to, when practical, boycott these companies, regardless of their country of origin, when they do things anti-consumer/anti-ownership. But more importantly we should demand our communities/governments break these companies up and take more measure reduce their power to do these things.
net01 · 1h ago
This is not a piracy app; it's a torrent client app.
It's just used to share files. I use it to share my videos & photos of my cat.
it would be nice if someone had a backbone and fought Apple like Epic's Tim Sweeney.
freedomben · 1h ago
You are of course correct, but you misunderstand the PR machine. Apple can easily claim they are combatting piracy, and 99.5% of all people will accept that as doctrine. The truth doesn't matter.
dkiebd · 1h ago
But people benefit from piracy, so I doubt people will support Apple here. Media companies on the other hand…
nicce · 13m ago
People benefit from robbery too. Words have still a meaning and we should at least try to word it in a way which sounds legal.
bsimpson · 1h ago
Tim Sweeney's backbone is in whatever shape makes him the most money. He's an opportunist (and probably a narcissist), not a freedom fighter.
cmcaleer · 11m ago
Here's a question on expected value. Do you think Epic makes more money if:
(a) they agree to Apple's demands and have Fortnite on the App Store during its peak of popularity for years and eat the junk fees on mtx or
(b) they fight an extremely costly lawsuit, which they have no guarantee of winning, for years, during which time Fortnite could leave the cultural zeitgeist (which it to some extent has) and maybe eventually one day get closer to 95% of mtx money?
If you think it's not (a), I would love to know why. Sweeney seems not that motivated by money, he's already filthy rich.
benoau · 39m ago
Banning apps like Kindle and Patreon from linking to their own payments should never have happened. Especially Patreon - Apple wrote a rule commandeering 30% of a then-five-year old app's revenue and coerced them into using IAP to get it, nobody should be supportive of this whatever Sweeney's shortcomings or motivations.
freejazz · 33m ago
Seems like you are having a different conversation: "it would be nice if someone had a backbone and fought Apple like Epic's Tim Sweeney."
benoau · 25m ago
No I disagree that we need a "better" person to disrupt what Apple is doing, that's just shifting the goal posts to favor Apple doing it longer. The best person to do it is the one who did it.
ktallett · 1h ago
I mean it has already been shown that needing a license to sell apps in an alternate store is in violation. I feel we need to be moving to non-punative fines for every day Apple violate.
net01 · 1h ago
This would be a perfect example to show to an EU politician.
spacebanana7 · 35m ago
Sadly not - the lobbyists of the media industry would very much support Apple in this case. That carries a lot of weight for EU politicians.
lokar · 12m ago
There is a fair chance apple blocked the app in response to legal or political pressure from the EU.
Can we now revisit the arguments that people were making in those threads to defend this?
[0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39137090
And today it is Apple, and I'm curious to see whether HN folks feel the similar passion. Historically, people pick up pitch forks for Google but give Apple a pass - so looking forward to the conversation here.
This is the behaviour I, unfortunately, expect out of Apple.
TorrentFreak are the first to respond to our emails, Getting the news out is hard.
(i am the one who alerted Ernesto, but i had no input in the article.)
A bit meta, I lament the loss of the 'hacker' spirit that should be more pervasive here in general; no company should be above criticism, and actions ought to be treated with the same praise and disdain. Unfortunately it is not the case for a while.
So when stuff like this happens, it's kind of the expected outcome. Cue the lawnmower analogy.
However, this is beyond Apple’s own App Store, which is sort of interesting. I think it still highlights the dangers of App stores, though.
Apple fully knows they are looking forward to a huge fine. I guess they are banning a torrent app here to be able to tell: look the EU is sponsoring piracy. They are also trying to get Trump to intervene on their behalf obviously. Given how spineless the current European Commission is, that might even work.
To my fellow European, my advice remains the same: boycott American companies, stop voting for parties affiliated with the EPP.
It's just used to share files. I use it to share my videos & photos of my cat.
it would be nice if someone had a backbone and fought Apple like Epic's Tim Sweeney.