So you’re saying that there’s no security on MacOS and Apple is lying about it?
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New EU Law Could Force Apple to Allow Other App Stores, Sideloading, and iMessage Interoperability
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If I could buy directly from the Dev, that wouldn’t bother me for a second.
An additional store would take some time to trust but surely Cleverbridge or similar would fill that gap?
I don’t really see it as any different from my Mac which has waaaaaaaaay more on it that might make me vulnerable and I’ve a good idea what I’m doing with that.
Do you even know what choice is? Don’t hit the toggle. Why is this so hard?
I’m dealing with that in PC and it SUCKS Epic, Steam, EA, Blizzard, GOG, Adobe Creative Cloud, etc etc etc.
Just put “side loading” behind a switch in the settings.
Don’t want to use it? Don’t enable it in the settings. Problem solved.
Don’t want to use it? Don’t enable it in the settings. Problem solved.
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Would it hurt others if some users choose to use third party apps? Apple could still have strong privacy protections in place. The EU would not oppose that.
It is clear though that iMessage is just another tool for Apple to keep people locked into the walled garden. They can't switch to Android without losing the access to many friends on iMessage.
My responses, in the order of your comments:
1. If the incredible visibility provided by the App Store isn't worth the cost (financially, or with restrictions developers can't live with given better alternatives), then that demonstrates a real problem. My guess, though, is that most developers will do what they do with the Mac -- make their app available on and off the App Store, possibly at different price points.
2. There is some truth to this, but those who stick with the App Store can achieve essentially what they have now.
3. Apple will (and should) realize less profits from third-party apps, but there are ways to mitigate this, and Apple has plenty of money to avoid diminishing its focus on security. If anything, demonstrating that focus will be a selling point of the App Store.
4. Characterizing Apple's single-option-only approach as the approach that promotes choice is ludicrous.
5. I would suggest that the Mac is the model for how to do this well. A Mac is extremely secure if one uses the App Store for all apps, and still has very good security if other reputable sources are used. Most users are very comfortable with the level of security provided by the Mac, and for good reason.
The toggle could be placed in a new Settings subsection, maybe something like Settings > General > Nanny State. Maybe Apple can go ahead and put Clean Energy Charging and Exposure Notifications there 
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Which is also a distinct possibility. Some devs would use it, and like I've said, most probably wouldn't. In any case I feel like Android is a pretty good case study of how this would shake out; from the consumer standpoint, very little would change, except in a very small subset of cases which would probably see a slight improvement in the customer's eyes. App Store pricing already being ridiculously low is a separate issue all together, but it does serve to highlight the idea that there isn't much room for individual developers or small teams to innovate in the App Store ecosystem anymore.
I recognize that's an industry-wide problem, not just an issue in the App Store. But it speaks to the commoditization of people's time, which is a rabbit-hole unto itself.
The issue I'm having is that I don't see many places where it could negatively affect customers, and I do see one specific area where it might benefit them; app stores that don't exist yet. Forcing Apple to do this will shed light on the concept of third-party app stores in the public eye, which might enable as-yet-unknown players to come in and do something interesting in the space of "being an app store".
Will that happen? No idea. But the possibility remains that it could be a major improvement for users, and given that the only thing being negatively affected is Apple's bottom line, I'm not against seeing where this winds up.
Apple doesn't really have a choice. They can't walk away from $95 Billion in revenue/year.
On the other hand, that’s why the EU doesn’t have a cell phone manufacturer, a cell phone OS, an App Store, a computer OS, messaging platforms, social media platforms, and more. The reason why those don’t exist is because it’s not financially beneficial for any EU company to have any significant marketshare in any of those areas. So, while there are undoubtedly brilliant folks in the EU capable of competing on a world stage and bringing IN more money than their citizens currently spend on buying products/services from non-EU companies, the regulations in the EU won’t allow it.
And, as the EU has been left behind in this area, the ONLY option they have left is to try to make non-EU companies operate under the same “don’t be too successful” rules that have curtailed innovation in the EU.
Android isn't one choice. It's multiple OSs from multiple manufacturers on multiple hardware designs with multiple app stores and multiple features. But we've already had this conversation before. Feel free to read through our previous conversation to avoid going around in circles again!
OEMs license the Android OS to use on their devices with some tweaks (if desired) allowed. 99%+ of current smartphones run either iOS or Android.
Those who want to stay with iOS and prefer a single app store can still use a single app store. That choice is not taken away. However, those who want to stay with iOS but would prefer to use an alternative app store or multiple app stores don’t have that choice. Apple should give a choice to their customers similar to how Android smartphone OEMs give a choice to their customers.
I play the lottery for example. Not some shady private lottery scam, but the real state lottery in my German state of Lower Saxony. Gambling apps however are not available on the Google Play Store, but I still have the option to install the APK file directly from the lottery website. Not sure how that works with iOS. Does the App Store allow gambling apps? What if it does not?
To butcher Ben Franklin's quote: "Those who give up liberty for security, deserves neither."
It's possible to keep your computer both secure and afford yourself lots of freedom. All it takes is for the user to be diligent and mindful of security.
Apple has gaslit folks into believing if it's in the AppStore, it's safe.😒 Facebook is on the AppStore. TikTok is on the AppStore. If it's banned from the AppStore, it isn't safe.😩 iDOS 2--as well as a host of other emulators--is safe in my book. The code those emulators cannot run on iOS outside of the emulators. Do people think an old DOS virus can somehow infect iOS?😂
Apple is all about profit. The privacy and security angle is pure marketing. If they were serious about security, iOS would have a built in firewall. If they were serious about privacy, Google wouldn't be the default search engine.
You think MS will keep those apps off the AppStore and make it an MS Store exclusive? Not a chance. 70% of a larger pie is better than 100% of a smaller pie. I do see MS placing those apps in both Apple's AppStore and their own MS Store.
I don't see banks or niche market developers making their own appstore for only one app.
I'll completely support it if they are forced to stay on the Appstore with all restrictions and rules in place. You wanna beg people to sideload go for it but you have to be in the Appstore as well.
That's real choice that protects consumers.
People keep saying everything is on the Play Store. Yes that's true the Play Store is Google garbage that spies on you. Appstore is not so there is incentive for apps to leave and play their own game. Facebook literally has talked about the lost revenue from iOS because they can't spy. You lose. All the big players will bail for that advertising metadata cash.
Facebook will be off the Appstore the day they can launch their own store. Amazon and Netflix will be gone too. Hell Amazon and Netflix will be out and have their own appstores paying developers in kickbacks to move to their storefronts. They will advertise getting all that sweet metadata that Apple prevents. Fragmentation galore so developers can pay 28% and 13% instead of 30% and 15%. Oh you bought the app on Amazon? Well now they are on the Netflix Appstore buy the app again to get updates.
Apple will start charging again for major iOS upgrades. They will make up the difference of lost revenue out of your pocket. You think iOS upgrades have been lame the last few years? Wait until there is little to no incentives for Apple to make changes. Wait for all Apple services to go up in price astronomically. At the end of the day the only person that will be hurt by this are the end users.
All so you can have ******* and a Nintendo emulator! My homescreen has custom icons that slow down the whole UI! Yay!
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That's all fine until Devs pull their apps from the App Store and demand you buy them directly.
I am an Android user, but this EU move would really make iPhones an option for me. The EU decision would give me the option of having a good privacy and the freedom to install any app at the same time. How could I oppose that?
The job of government is to provide infrastructure and protect the nation. Not to regulate how a private business makes a connector or writes software.
If you don't like the App store, then don't buy an Apple product. Seems pretty simple. If I don't want to buy premium gas, then I won't buy a BMW. You must think that the government should regulate BMW to force them to build engines that run on regular gas. It would be cheaper for gas stations to only carry one type of gas, better for the consumer, better for climate change, better for all mankind!
I like the way you think.The toggle could be placed in a new Settings subsection, maybe something like Settings > General > Nanny State. Maybe Apple go ahead and put Clean Energy Charging and Exposure Notifications there
I imagine that would get them in further trouble in the EU since they tend to enforce their regulations unlike the United States.
The EU had nothing to do with that, it was Apple's greed that fueled those changes, which is going to have me looking into possible alternatives like the Samsung flagships or the Google Pixel line of phones.
So after this comes to pass, and only a tiny fraction of users bother with non-Apple app stores, and people who put their apps on these third party apps stores bitch and moan about how nobody is downloading their stuff, and its all Apple's fault because Apple still has an app store, then what?
Next step is to prohibit Apple from having an app store at all?
Next step is to prohibit Apple from having an app store at all?
There still is California, which in those cases pretty acts much like a EU member. If the EU passes a consumer friendly law, Californians want it too. California might pretty much adapt the GDPR laws for example.
Once again you have a choice if you want to install the application, you are not forced to use the Apple App store. With Apple's current system you either install it from the Apple App store if available or you do not install it at all. The EU is removing Apple's gatekeeping ability since they should not be able to dictate to users what applications and content they can have on their iPhones.