New U.S. Antitrust Bill Would Require Apple and Google to Allow Third-Party App Stores and Sideloading

[mm1250]

Will the government next force Walmart to allow Target to advertise their own products and install their own cash registers in Walmart stores?

Umm. No. Walmart is not in the operating system biz like Apple, google and MS.

Think of it this way. Would you think it would be fair if MS windows was locked down to only allow apps to be downloaded and installed from Ms App Store? Apple would have had to pay 30% cut of sales for iTunes on windows to ms. Same for google and apple. Their day has come. I hope this passes.

Also and the end of the day apple and google have a duopoly on mobile operating system market. It needs to be regulated to prevent ongoing abuse From apple. .

 

[hasanahmad]

You mean like letting their agencies work with Apple to install data scanning software right on your device?

NCMEC is not a government agency bro

 

[turbineseaplane]

NCMEC is not a government agency bro

They work directly with government agencies "bro"
Wrong spot for this debate anyhow - my fault for bringing it up

 

[seek3r]

This is going to shake the gaming market because then xbox, playstation and steam are going to have to make changes too!

Steam wouldn't have to make any changes, the (little) hardware they sell isn't locked down and otherwise their store *is* a third party store on standard platforms (in fact it would probably help valve, they might be able to have steam on playstations, xboxs, appletvs...). And it would be good for the xbox and ps to be more open

 

[hasanahmad]

Umm. No. Walmart is not in the operating system biz like Apple, google and MS.

Think of it this way. Would you think it would be fair if MS windows was locked down to only allow apps to be downloaded and installed from Ms App Store? Apple would have had to pay 30% cut of sales for iTunes on windows to ms. Same for google and apple. Their day has come. I hope this passes.

Also and the end of the day apple and google have a duopoly on mobile operating system market. It needs to be regulated to prevent ongoing abuse From apple. .

Thats what he meant. Would you think its fair if Walmart was locked down and only allowed its store brand version and not from Target and vice versa? Would it be fair if Microsoft Xbox was locked down to only install Microsoft signed apps and not allow apps from developers who want to sideload their apps and games on Xbox?

 

[kirky29]

How would it advance? Its just iPhone hardware that is maxed out by iOS OS functionality. Not like so EPIC's Fortnite is going to make it more advanced. LOL

"The company would need to provide developers with access to operating system interfaces, development information, and hardware and software features."

Maybe I'm reading it wrong but I somewhat picture devs been able to mess around with system interfaces rather than the bogged down versions they're currently 'forced' to use. So maybe some apps could do something fancy and clever that they're currently unable to do. Like I say, maybe I'm reading it wrong!

 

[mansplains]

This mentality reminds me of all the spam ads online, either pop-ups or page redirects, that mention a security warning and show the iOS 7 Settings icon, or virus warning etc... I think specifically about folks who frankly don't know what they're doing when encountering these malware. Most aren't crazy harmful thankfully, actions like opting-in to spam emailing or some calendar subscription.

Imagine instead of something that could be innocuous you help your grandma avoid, she actually ends up granting permission to malware installation, that could have who knows what permissions out the door. My grandma bought an iMac several years back for similar reasons, my grandpa's PC was more susceptible to malware and they dealt with a lot of headache due to ignorance.

 

[bousozoku]

There need to be guarantees that the alternative stores will make certain that software is safe to run.

If they just put up software without inspecting it, I wouldn't want to use it.

 

[Wildkraut]

If people buy iOS Apps elsewhere, are those apps going to be the same as the one from the App Store? If not, how is the OS going to be able to protect people from an injected app, while still recognizing the validity of the app bought elsewhere?

Well, it will be secure like macOS.
People simply aren’t used to freedom anymore. Like those jailed guys that gets free and start doing criminal stuff again, just to get back to jail, because they feel more comfortable there. And the ones who fears the World Wide Web and can’t get over it, can keep getting whipped inside the Apple AppStore.

Look at Affinity Designer,Photo and Publisher, this is how Apps will be distributed in the future, over multiple different platforms, and competing with each other. Customers will be able to choose what suits them best.

I’m looking forward to install Firefox with Gecko Browser Engine and uBlock Origin.

 

[ScWasHere]

While many people dislike Apple's ecosystem approach, I like it and don't want it opened up. Apple makes me mad at times, like when they killed off Aperture, but opening it up to third parties worries me. I would stick with the App store, although my feeling is the App store concept is dying, or at least it has for me. Endless in-app purchases and subscription models have tainted my view of apps.

 

[topdrawer]

Cool. Apple will now have to hire even more people to man their Genius Bars when people bring in malware laden iPhones and go "I sideloaded this game...but it mess it up with Moose porn malware...fix it..."

Apply for a job now, they're going to need it!

oh no, where will apple come up with enough money to hire more people. they are operating on razor thin margins as is.

 

[Wildkraut]

It's not about consumer choice. it's about giving government access to your data.

Remember a few years ago the debate about giving governments a back door to bypass encryption? Remember "the software equivalent of cancer"?

Well they found a new way, by mean of a Trojan horse: they pretend to be concerned about consumer's freedom of choice so as to force Apple. & Co to allow sideloading, finally giving them the backdoor.

If they really want to access your stuff, they’ll simply waterboard you. I bet you would hand out your passwords in less than 1 minute.

It’s much easier than writing some trojan - faster and cheaper, too..

 

[cocoua]

At least...
this had to come soon or later.

 

[turbineseaplane]

If they just put up software without inspecting it, I wouldn't want to use it.

How do you handle that concern on macOS right now?

 

[ender78]

Malware can already get onto your iPhone by simply visiting the wrong webpage (no click necessary) and there are several examples where the review process of Apple was not able to prevent malicious apps from getting into the App Store.

What if there were absolutely no review process. An imperfect process is still better than none.

 

[MikeSmoke]

it is a little bit strange that within days of Apple announcing they are going to scan our photo library for child porn and report it to the US authorities, that now Congress is looking to break up a monopoly which would give the authorities the back door they always wanted.

I am not a conspiracy theorist. This just doesn’t smell right.

 

[Naraxus]

All of those thumbs down I and others got months ago when we said that the Epic trial was just the beginning....

All those laughs we got when we said Apple's App Store monopoly was about to fall....

How would you all like your crow? Roasted? Baked? Smoked?

 

[RobArtLyn]

But you completely glossed over my example…

There are very likely amazing things not being created right now because they don’t financially make sense due to the exorbitant fees.

A whole world of the really cool stuff could open up with third-party app stores
All of it will be optional for you

How will it be ”optional” for me when apps I rely on leave Apple’s store and go the a third-party store? Or do you think that developers are going distribute their apps through multiple stores? (Hint: they won’t)

BTW: If there isn’t enough of a market to support Apple‘s 30%/15% fee structure, how cool could it actually be?

 

[Ethosik]

This is great. If you don’t wanna install from a third party App Store or don’t wanna sideload, then just don’t do it.

Doesn't take a genius to know this will end badly for the customer. Just look at what Epic is doing on PC with Steam competition. Getting exclusivity to where I NEED to use Epic if I want to play the games.

How do I keep sideloading disabled if the Affinity Photo app is not on the App Store and on the Affinity Store?

This is essentially removing choice from me. I have a choice now - Android for side loading and Apple for not sideloading.

 

[FHoff]

Then don’t sideload apps or install apps from any source other than Apple, if it makes you feel better. If a developer refuses to make their app available through Apple’s store, either deal with it or refuse to do business with them. Problem solved.

On that same note, don’t buy Apple products if you want to use sideloading of apps.

 

[Ethosik]

If this is the case, then the same should apply to Game Consoles: Playstation, Nintendo, Xbox, etc...
We want to sideload to the consoles as well.
Also, I want to be able to install 3rd Party apps on my Mazda.

This. I don't want things to just be a target to Apple because its just Apple. That is not how Laws should be made. Lets make it to where side loading is a requirement everywhere, don't just treat a single or minor group of businesses differently. This just throws a giant red flag to say "Don't let your business get TOO successful!!"

 

[Wildkraut]

Im also looking forward to install a Firewall like Little Snitch (but for iOS/ipadOS), this would give us all more security than Apple ever offered.

 

[turbineseaplane]

How will it be ”optional” for me when apps I rely on leave Apple’s store and go the a third-party store?

I was replying to somebody specifically about the Indie games example and it being optional.
The reality is people probably will leave Apple’s App Store if it is not a compelling offering.

Do you realize what you were saying there?
You’re advocating for Apple’s store offering to not have to compete on the merits.

It’s time for this to be a competitive landscape.

Nothing like this would even be happening if they weren’t gouging people right now...and refusing all change (for money)

 

[huge_apple_fangirl]

The idea that this reduces security is FUD from Apple. The security of iOS is from the sandboxing model, not the App Store. In fact, you can technically already side load- it’s just difficult.

Secondly, Apple’s narrative of “we need to lock iOS down for security/privacy” has been revealed to bald-faced lies with the new government spyware “feature”, so I’m all for this. Maybe I can find a third-party app that disables the Apple spyware.

 

[Ethosik]

Then don't use third party app stores.

Until an exploit is released that bypasses the checkbox or toggle that Apple had to introduce to enable side loading. This happens sometimes in Windows where systems bypass certain security checks. Even some exploits on some software that breaks outside of a sandbox.

Just the presence of a toggle will introduce massive security concerns and risks.