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Comment by shepherdjerred | Hacker News Reader

One of the reasons I feel that way is that Apple Maps is free.

Yes, you do need an Apple device to use Maps, but it's at least a viable alternative to Google that casual users pick (versus, say, OpenStreetMaps).

How much is the cost to continually verify every business on Maps? I would expect it to be a very large amount. If it were very expensive, would Apple have created Maps, or keep Maps operating? I don't know.

I guess what I'm getting at is that Apple doesn't get much direct gain (as far as I know -- maybe they get some money from Yelp?) from Maps, and I'm rooting for Apple because at least they're not Google.

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Apple Maps is as free as the OS on my $1000 phone and $2000 computer.

How'd you manage to get away with only spending $2000 on the computer component of your Apple Maps service agreement!?

It's not free, it's just not paid for directly by the user. If you're not paying for the service, you're the product, not the customer.

Sorry, what do you mean? The phrase "If you're not paying for the service, you're the product, not the customer" usually means that the customer is being exploited in some way, e.g. data sold, advertised to, etc.

How does Apple Maps exploit users? As we've discussed, you must first own an Apple device. Does Apple Maps sell data or advertise or something?

If they don't, then you are indeed paying for it.

Apple Maps is free the same way the Andes mint on my pillow is free at a hotel: you're paying for an entire experience.

If Apple Maps isn't available to to people without Apple devices, it's not free.

> If Apple Maps isn't available to to people without Apple devices, it's not free.

You can. DuckDuckGo uses it as their provider. https://duckduckgo.com/?hps=1&q=1600+pennsylvania+ave&ia=web...

https://developer.apple.com/documentation/mapkitjs/

This.

Albeit as a developer OpenStreetMaps offers better experience

Whats available on the Web, such as on DDG, is very poor compared to the native apple maps.

It's like google maps ten years ago... Well no, they already had itineraries.

I feel like others articulated valid counter arguments, but if I were to reframe and reduce the problem to an unnecessary logical extreme, would it be an excusable mistake to distribute a free newspaper related to local businesses that often reports on closures, but without even a cursory fact-checking step in the publication process? If you've tried to verify and seemingly got an accurate answer from the relevant authority, you get a pass for printing a mistake, but not if you're just printing heresay.

Whether the app costs money to use or not is irrelevant. What matters is whether or not Apple has a legal duty to avoid harming other businesses when they publish misinformation as fact.

And if not, then perhaps they at least have a moral duty. Even if Apple were fined for something like this, likely the fine would be cheaper than ensuring compliance would cost. Meanwhile, a restaurant losing customers for a week because people think it's closed could bankrupt their business.

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