A jury just found Google guilty on all counts of #antitrust violations stemming from its dispute with #Epic, maker of #Fortnite, which brought a variety of claims related to how Google runs its app marketplace. This is huge:
If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this thread to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:
@pluralistic
"Unlike Apple's iOS, Android permit both #sideloading (installing an app directly without using an app store) and configuring your device to use a different app store."
Well, my device also has the Samsungs App store preinstalled and I can install from apk's directly. Probably because of EU regulations 🤷
The #DigitalMarketsAct mandates Meta to "enable end users to freely choose to opt-in to [combining or cross-using personal data] by offering a less personalised but equivalent alternative".
When I pointed out to Meta that by offering users to either #consent to #SurveillanceAds or pay € 275 per year for #Instagram & #Facebook isn't "equivalent alternative" they said, Meta has to do that because of #GDPR 😤 Really??
This is how you know it's a cult. "If you want to read the Bible in the vulgate, why don't you become a Satanist? My faith requires that everyone who calls themself a Christian must worship as I do. Your choice to worship otherwise is an injury to me, even if I don't know you."
It has already been possible to change an #iPhone's default web browser through the "Settings" app since iOS 14.
#Apple has a March 6 legal deadline to introduce app sideloading in the European Union in order to comply with the Digital Markets Act #DMA, and iOS 17.4 will add support for this. #Sideloading will allow Apple users to download apps outside of the App Store, but the change will be limited to customers in the EU.
Now is an opportunity to improve your web experience… and your safety…
Their reluctant allowance of third-party app stores, #sideloading, & alternative payments is nothing more than an act of #malicious compliance by #apple 🍎
As an indie dev myself, it’s always sad to see apps Sherlocked by Apple as they look to integrate new apps/features into iOS. But, this new journaling app sounds very interesting to me from an deep integration standpoint.
Day One is a great app, worth paying for for sure, but being able to integrate into every aspect of the OS, that’s what will make this new Journaling app from Apple appealing.
Since it's not coming until the next spring, with many restrictions it seems (just for the #EU market), I was on a lookout for an alternative approach.
I came across one such option, even though a bit complicated for the end user. On the other hand, it doesn't require user to connect their mobile device to a computer. Looking forward to test it out.
Food for the discussion of allowing side loading apps on #iOS. There is massive world of abuse just waiting:
“Hands-on with Google's real-time scanning in Play Protect for sideloaded apps: it didn't restrict five predatory loan apps and two fake apps from installing”