23 votes

Apple would be forced to allow sideloading and third-party app stores under new EU law

11 comments

  1. [11]
    JXM
    Link
    Good. I think people should absolutely be able to do whatever they want with their device. There are absolutely downsides to allowing side loading. Scam apps, hacked apps that add features but...

    Good. I think people should absolutely be able to do whatever they want with their device.

    There are absolutely downsides to allowing side loading. Scam apps, hacked apps that add features but steal your data, etc. But guess what? The App Store is already full of scam apps.

    And people have been using Macs, PCs and Android devices for decades and it hasn't been the catastrophe that Apple has said will happen if iOS side loading were allowed.

    I understand the arguments that many people have given about why side loading is bad but I think the good far outweighs the bad.

    Apple (and to a lesser extent Google) seem to think they are entitled to a cut of every single transaction that comes anywhere near their platform and seem unwilling to budge. Regulation is needed to control them, since they are unable to self regulate.

    What's wild is that they are so afraid of losing out on any transaction, but I genuinely don't think that many developers would switch to a non-Apple App Store or non-Apple payment method. Maybe it's worthwhile to a massive company like Spotify, but for most smaller developers, not having to manage the overhead of an update system or billing system is a huge plus.

    And if they did leave, well then Apple would just have to find a way to lure them back by actually competing.

    13 votes
    1. [7]
      teaearlgraycold
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      This isn’t what would happen. Developers would mostly not develop their own App Store. But many developers would shop around and see what different 3rd party stores have to offer. Apple’s cut...

      Maybe it's worthwhile to a massive company like Spotify, but for most smaller developers, not having to manage the overhead of an update system or billing system is a huge plus.

      This isn’t what would happen. Developers would mostly not develop their own App Store. But many developers would shop around and see what different 3rd party stores have to offer. Apple’s cut would go down tremendously as they’d have to compete. I could see it go to 10-15%

      5 votes
      1. [3]
        knocklessmonster
        Link Parent
        I frankly doubt that would even happen. Google Play could have fragmented, for example, and by all means should have. The only thing that has happened is Amazon emerged with their own closed...

        I frankly doubt that would even happen. Google Play could have fragmented, for example, and by all means should have. The only thing that has happened is Amazon emerged with their own closed ecosystem (designed from the top down by Amazon, not organic market forces), and others (Samsung) operate alongside Google Play, but don't really pose any threats.

        Maybe there'll be an iOS F-Droid soon.

        8 votes
      2. JXM
        Link Parent
        That’s why I followed that with: Competition is a good thing.

        That’s why I followed that with:

        And if they did leave, well then Apple would just have to find a way to lure them back by actually competing.

        Competition is a good thing.

        3 votes
      3. [2]
        stu2b50
        Link Parent
        We'd see what happen based on Android. Unless literally government mandated (e.g in China), there wouldn't be any 3rd party app stores of note. Even large and influential apps, like Fortnite, who...

        We'd see what happen based on Android. Unless literally government mandated (e.g in China), there wouldn't be any 3rd party app stores of note. Even large and influential apps, like Fortnite, who tried to go on their own, would find that discoverability just about nil, and ultimately the endeavor a fruitless one.

        There might be some more of the FOSS indie type apps, which do exist on iOS, usually through testflight. For example, see Paperback: https://paperback.moe/help/guides/getting-started/#installation

        But there'd be no commercial change. I would not expect Apple's cut to go down one basis point. Maybe the larger apps like Netflix and Spotify would get a better sweetheart deal. Nothing for the general public.

        3 votes
        1. 0d_billie
          Link Parent
          Perhaps it should work like the default search engine situation: you have to select which one you want when first setting up an Android phone (in the EU). Boot up your iPhone for the first time...

          Perhaps it should work like the default search engine situation: you have to select which one you want when first setting up an Android phone (in the EU). Boot up your iPhone for the first time and it asks you which app store you want to use, with each one being able to present a short blurb as to why you might want it

    2. [3]
      NaraVara
      Link Parent
      Yes it has. You just don’t notice because it started as a clusterfuck and always has been. The contrast with the App Store, in terms of reach and peoples willingness to try software and spend...

      And people have been using Macs, PCs and Android devices for decades and it hasn't been the catastrophe that Apple has said will happen if iOS side loading were allowed.

      Yes it has. You just don’t notice because it started as a clusterfuck and always has been. The contrast with the App Store, in terms of reach and peoples willingness to try software and spend money on it is basically unrivaled by PCs.

      5 votes
      1. JXM
        Link Parent
        It's definitely not any more of a clusterfuck than it is on mobile. Apple (and I assume Microsoft) have very good solutions for trying to keep things somewhat safe on MacOS/Windows. Gatekeeper...

        It's definitely not any more of a clusterfuck than it is on mobile. Apple (and I assume Microsoft) have very good solutions for trying to keep things somewhat safe on MacOS/Windows. Gatekeeper lets Apple remotely nuke known viruses or malware. And while they've gone a bit nuts with the pop ups that ask if an application is allowed to access certain things like your user folder or contacts, it does go a long way to making people safer while allowing them more control over what they install on their computer.

        On the other hand, I know tons of people who were accidentally paying for subscriptions they didn't know about or were using apps that charged for subscriptions even though they had no ongoing value (like a flashlight or calculator). That willingness to try new software is great, but when most of the popular apps on the App Store are just designed to trick you into spending money, what does it matter?

        5 votes
      2. mtset
        Link Parent
        This doesn't square with my experience at all; I do tech support for plenty of family members and friends on all these platforms, and of those people, the ones on Macs and iOS don't use much...

        Yes it has. You just don’t notice because it started as a clusterfuck and always has been.

        This doesn't square with my experience at all; I do tech support for plenty of family members and friends on all these platforms, and of those people, the ones on Macs and iOS don't use much software that isn't present by default or required by some institution (bank, transportation service, etc.) or product (Roomba, Nanoleaf, etc), with the occasional exception of apps that exist to sell services which are advertised on TV, radio, or podcasts. That's partly because the Apple default apps are Good Enough TM if you mostly use Apple services, but partly because most of the apps on the App Store are just as garbage as the popular apps on the Play Store.

        I'm open to being proven wrong about this, but it's a claim I'd like to see backed up with numbers.

        4 votes