
Apple Rejects Facebook’s Gaming App, for at Least the Fifth Time - pseudolus
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/18/technology/apple-ios-facebook-gaming-app.html
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zepto
This is a great example of why this is a tricky area to legislate.

On the one hand it seems crazy that Basecamp’s business model should be
significantly impeded by Apple’s rules.

On the other hand, we need some way to prevent people from just installing
their own platforms.

Given their track record, I don’t expect a gaming platform from Facebook to be
benign.

But let’s assume it is.

If Facebook can install its own gaming App Store, so can anyone else.

And that opens the door to all manner of bad actors who distribute gaming
platforms aimed at addicting kids, extracting personal information, etc.

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rydre
People should be allowed to install other installation platforms. This needs
to be made into the law. Consoles are a different thing, in their case, they
must be made to allow cross play/communication between other consoles if the
game developer wishes to integrate the functionality. If consoles turn into a
general purpose compute thing, then they must be made mandatory like that too.

Remove the network effects that ruin innovation and keep society behind.
Compete on merit.

If Apple is so sure that they are providing consumers with the best
experience, why do they not allow competitors and make it fair? Make it
mandatory that a developer has to support Apple payment method, fine, but
don't add anti competitive clauses like you shouldn't tell the consumer that
you can get the app 30% if you pay with PayPal/Stripe etc instead of paying
with Apple. Then look at what the consumer picks. Is Apple's quality assurance
really worth that much? Give free markets a chance, and we'll find out. 10
years are enough to make a profit, innovate and open up.

Stop using network effects/lock in as your moat, use your innovation to stay
ahead.

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zepto
What’s wrong with Android?

Another good option would be to force vendors to allow consumer to install any
operating system they chose, so people could install Android or Facebook os on
Apple hardware. Essentially boot camp for iPhone.

This would be great for software freedom since it would have to apply across
the board to Android vendors too.

Forcing Apple to make their operating system work the way you want them to is
like forced speech or forced labor, and is taking away a choice consumers
clearly want. It also simply doesn’t open the door for real innovation in the
space.

If we are going to solve this problem, let’s do it for real.

It’s also worth pointing out that if you force Apple to allow alternate
stores, those stores will be owned by Google and Amazon. They will not compete
on ‘innovation’. They will compete on advertising reach.

Let’s be real. If you are advocating for alternate stores to be forced on iOS,
you simply arguing for Amazon and Google and Facebook‘s competitive interests
while doing nothing to constrain their various anticompetitive tendencies.

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gamblor956
_Forcing Apple to make their operating system work the way you want them to is
like forced speech or forced labor,_

Legally, it's nothing even remotely like forced speech or forced labor. It's
simply the application of neutral laws intended to foster commercial activity
by prohibiting anticompetitive activity, such as that engaged in by Apple in
running its app store.

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zepto
Except that they are not neutral laws, and the application of them would force
Apple to write and maintain code.

I actually am in favor of truly neutral laws, such as a law outlawing the
locking of hardware to a particular OS. Laws that could be applied
universally.

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mikece
While Facebook doesn't like this it does make sense. Apple is pushing their
own gaming platform so allowing a direct competitor onto their platform isn't
a violation of rules. To argue otherwise would be to say that Burger King
should have the right to sell burgers on property owned by McDonalds. Facebook
is free to go make their own mobile gaming platform OR to partner with Google
and build a campaign similar to Visa's ad campaign talking about all the
things you can buy with Visa but not with American Express. It should be
entertaining to watch!

