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Comment by s3p | Hacker News Reader

Hopefully Apple listens and implements something like this. They've already shown that they'll bend to their users even if it means screwing over developers and other large companies. App tracking transparency and precision location [1] come to mind.

[1] https://9to5mac.com/2020/08/12/ios-14-precise-location/

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They totally screwed up the location thing to the point of uselessness because they report what the user selects to the app, and scummy apps just disable themselves until you grant the permission they want.

The choice to use a scummy app (and you should know if it's doing this that it's scummy), is still a choice.

Unfortunately apps which don’t pass the smell test get deleted. Ridiculous requirements such as permanent precise GPS location and access to health and motion and my credit card purchase history are too much man.

The situation is more nuanced than that. For example, I have some security cameras installed around my home where the app has updated itself and now requires continuous precise location tracking. That was not the case when I purchased them and set them up, or I would have returned them and left a bad review. I guess you could say I deserve it for not using hardware based on open standards, but now my only options are to generate masses of ewaste and spend hundreds of dollars more, or just bend over and take it. My OS could work harder to protect me here.

It’s not “developers and other large companies”.

Small indie developers are the majority of developers in Apple’s ecosystem. If they are to be screwed over as well (for example, with the upcoming sideloading feature unlocking piracy for everyone), it doesn’t seem fantastic.

Sometimes bending to the user is to the detriment of developers who create the ecosystem your users appreciate in the first place.

Sideloading feature? That's a good thing, users should always be the one in control and the EU will mandate this very soon.

iOS is the singular OS in the world where the user's freedom is curtailed in such a heavy handed manner.

Nope, there are plenty of other operating systems with user restrictions, feature phones, game consoles, embedded OS.

There are three dominant desktop and two mobile operating systems, only 1 out of those 5 is locked down to where even applications are handcuffed. I'm not talking about embedded industrial systems I'm talking about everyday general purpose devices.

You know this and I know this.

Moving goalposts.

No goalposts have been moved here. Stop playing dumb.

If anything pedantic.

> iOS is the singular OS in the world where the user's freedom is curtailed in such a heavy handed manner.

Pointed out that isn't the case across the planet, moved goalposts to only 5 OSes, ignoring the supposed rest of the world

> There are three dominant desktop and two mobile operating systems...

Apparently the world is too big to make a point.

Sideloading is going to eliminate the small indie dev who could make an honest living through the simple model of 1) make software, 2) let the user buy it once and own.

No subscriptions, no servers required to use. It is very rare now. Apple made this ecosystem it possible by being an intermediary between you and your customers, ensuring they do not run cracked versions of your work to save money and rip you off. It would suck to see it go.

Note who lobbied for this law. Not coincidentally, not the companies that actually did the above (selling software to own), just big corps with competing platforms.

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