U.S. Antitrust Legislation Would Ban Apple from Pre-Installing Its Own Apps | Hacker News Reader

U.S. Antitrust Legislation Would Ban Apple from Pre-Installing Its Own Apps

macrumors.com

46 pointstosh24 comments

I wonder how they determine what an "app" is. Would "Camera" not be pre-installed anymore? Or "Settings"? "Files"? These seem like bare necessities.

I guess apps that have “core functionality” would be exempt, so the apps you mention would probably be allowed to be preinstalled. Or, Apple would have to allow users to choose which apps they install, kind of like how it works in Russia right now.

How exactly does this work in Russia?

As far as I know when you first setup iOS on a Russian iPhone, it asks if you want to install some specific government apps. It was a compromise (on the government’s side) to not force the apps to be fully preinstalled.

And, what if it's not installed? What if it's just some icons/app suggestions that trigger download/installation on first use?

Users: We could use legislation to ban wireless providers from preinstalling unremovable crapware.

Feds: Right. We'll ban manufacturers from installing their apps instead.

Legislators: A handful of loud constituents are angry at a few big tech companies for... gosh, it seems like so many reasons. How can we punish the big ones? Yeah, the phone manufacturers, sure, that works.

This, coupled with the better and bigger news - European union is considering allowing side-loading / direct installing of apps on ios from outside Apple's App Store ( HN discussion https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27531213 ) - would make me love the Apple platform again.

>would make me love the Apple platform again.

I am pretty sure Apple will lower the rate instead of allowing side loading. And judging from the speech Tim Cook gave in the interview I dont think the old Steve's Apple will ever come back. Tim Cook isn't fighting this because he think App Store is better, he is fighting this because of money.

Will this also force Apple to drop Safari engine only rule?

This is backwards. Who cares if phones offer their own apps? They should instead let people install what they want on their devices instead of limiting them to stores.

So how would one go about downloading apps if there is no App Store since the App Store would be a pre-installed Apple app?

Every time I read one of these posts, I wonder what the commenter expects will happen. Do you think the feds will go, "ah, you've got me! I didn't think of this edge case. Let's just scrap the whole thing."???

They'll figure it out and let certain apps be installed.

It's clear that most of HN hasn't had to deal with a single legal issue in their lives. Legal matters are not black and white.

I’ve worked in federal government.

With respect, I think you’re giving legislators way too much credit.

Maybe it could ask which AppStore you want to install during setup.

Pick apple and it says "install default apps"? Yes please!

Indeed quite curious of the definition of an app.

Core apps need to be there. Think Phone.

Does the proposed legislation say that? I’d hope that if this were to pass (I don’t want it to), it’d call out “core apps” and define it, but I can’t find the actual text.

This is pure madness. They would ruin the iPhone if this became law. I don’t want crapware, I want an iPhone. If you want something else run an Android phone, there are plenty of alternative options to choose from.

Madness?

If I sync any other device's tasks over CalDAV with an iPhone's Tasks app, it destroys basic stuff like subtasks...if I want proper behavior, I have to install some random service's third party app from the App Store anyway.

Won't Apple just integrate the apps into the OS.

No app icon = no app

Or, Apple can allow users to install whatever app they want instead of forcing just one they provide. Android lets you do that (you can install any app you wish and disable the system apps) so it can't be that hard.

Can you clarify - So how would the user use it?

Camera - double tap pwr, or pulldown software tile button. etc

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