Daring FireballAt the Behest of Russia, Apple Has Purged Nearly 100 VPN Apps From the App Store
https://daringfireball.net/linked/2024/10/02/russia-app-store-vpns
https://daringfireball.net/linked/2024/10/02/russia-app-store-vpns
Thomas Brand@daringfireball under Tim Cook the Kremlin has never been safer.
dmitriidSo, when Russia or China does something, then the rhetoric is immediately "oh, Apple can't just pull out" and, surprisingly, "it's valid criticism for AppStore as sole distribution method".
When it's EU news, the rhetoric is "AppStore isn't that profitable in the EU", "Apple should pull out of the EU" and "if you want an alternative store, go get Android".
Delric@dmitriid @daringfireball can you quote us to where Gruber’s position was to pull out of the EU a rather than comply? Seems to me his position has been the same - they must comply when ordered to, but gosh aren’t these demands to make iOS an android clone dumb.
https://daringfireball.net/2024/03/eu_share_of_apples_revenue and linked articles
And no one is demanding that Apple turn iPhone into Android
EFEL@delric @dmitriid @daringfireball … and unlike in Russia, Apple is indeed withholding an important part of their experience from their EU-customers (who paid much more for their hardware than US-customers) instead of complying. Not the least because they want these customers to turn against such regulations. On the other hand, Apple was never truly global, there’s so much stuff limited to the US (financial services, News+, Wallet IDs… etc.)
And they are using regulations as a useful scapegoat for their own failures on top of that: https://mastodon.social/@stroughtonsmith/113239045852374113
Juan Nunez-IglesiasYeah, such garbage. Apple could comply in Russia with all the enthusiasm with which they comply in the EU. For example, they could easily turn on sideloading now that they have implemented it for the EU.
@daringfireball not operating in a criminal terrorist state that engages in war crimes against humanity on a daily basis would be the correct moral position. There cannot be that much revenue to squeeze. Walking away couldn’t be easier.
Andy@delric @daringfireball Fuck the Russian users who love their iPhones, I guess. 🤷🏻♂️
@andres @daringfireball Yes. Just as McDonald’s and numerous other US corporations decided to do. Pulling out of a terrorist state that doesn’t recognize sovereignty and butchers civilian populations is the correct action.
Magnus Ahltorp@delric @daringfireball We are, in many countries around the world, rightly condemning other companies that choose to remain in, profit from, and aid Russia. Leaving Russia should not be a hard decision. The question is why not much earlier.
ruffin@daringfireball Boy, that was tone deaf. “They have to comply, b/c otherwise the app store would be shut down.” Usually you add “& which is better for privacy, flawed iOS or no iOS?”
How much is Russia worth to bottom line? Maybe they’re cheap enough to show 🍎 will kneecap some1
> But of course they have to comply. If Apple responded to this demand from the Russian government with “Nah, we’re not going to comply”, the Russian government would shut down the App Store in Russia.
Mark Turner.@daringfireball what on Earth are Apple still doing in Russia anyway?
David Watson@daringfireball is the iPhone still available for sale in Russia?
Neal Onions@daringfireball This is the first time I have encountered a compelling argument for allowing side-loading.
Trying to find info on Apple in Russia I could see no evidence of Apple Store or Authorised Reseller or Authorised Service Centre which is encouraging. By inference there is some support for existing users including an App store but it’s not surprising that Apple have that, albeit that they are subject to the whims of the Putin regime.
However thinking/reading some more, having no VPN probably makes side loading irrelevant anyway coz one can’t access and download a side load. And if, as I discovered reading more from @counternotions, using a VPN itself is illegal then you maybe get no benefit from side loading. The benefit goes away and all you are left with is a piracy and malware nightmare.
Freedom and liberty are truly great aspirational prizes.
@ngo @daringfireball @counternotions Agreed! They could have a chance to access such appstore if e.g. the whole home network went through a VPN (via the router or some such)
@efel @daringfireball @counternotions
The trouble is accessing with any VPN from any home is itself an illegal act in some places. Other countries allow only government approve VPN’s. I somehow think using one of those might be a bad idea….
https://www.comparitech.com/vpn/where-are-vpns-legal-banned/
