Marco ArmentApr 24, 2025

The App Store's alleged "protection" of its users from scammy apps has always had a huge blind spot when the scams are paying Apple their IAP cut, and therefore making Apple a lot of money.

Intentional? Maybe, maybe not.

But it sure happens a lot for it to be an honest mistake.
https://mastodon.social/@lapcatsoftware/114389493032695580

Show threadMarco Arment

I don't think Apple *intends* to let abusive subscription scams stay in the App Store to make more money.

But this has been a problem for so many years, with no obvious progress being made to fix it, that their inaction speaks volumes, whether it's their intention or not.

Apr 24, 2025 at 12:07amIvory for Mac
Show threadszicariApr 24, 2025

@marcoarment listener of ATP here. I appreciate the deep dives you and your crew take into the Apple Platform. I especially appreciate your scathing reviews of Siri, which is absolutely the dumbest assistant ever.

I’ve been considering a switch to Linux for Desktop and Android for mobile. Your podcast helps me understand some of the increasingly noticeable pain points over the last few years. Some things straight up just don’t work. Sad that it’s become so prevalent. Keep up the great podcast!

Show threaddustinbucherApr 24, 2025
@szicari @marcoarment Honestly despite knowing that there’s things I’ll miss like Shortcuts and a bunch of 3rd Party Mac Apps I’ve been in the exact same boat. It’s just like how many scummy things am I going to deal with and yet keep paying Premium prices to just get squeezed further?
Show threadBrian CostaApr 24, 2025
@marcoarment Honestly, I think it would be great press for them if they did something about these Apps. If perception is so important to them...this could go along way for some. Maybe the EU will do something about it 🫠
Show threadBuckApr 24, 2025
@cronocx @marcoarment They have their Rea$on$
Show threadBrian CostaApr 24, 2025
@buck @marcoarment Oh I know. I'm the naïve one that wants companies to do right by their Users. It's a Dreamworld I wish existed.
Show threadMikeApr 24, 2025
@marcoarment how do apps like that even get past approval given you can’t really have an app scan your whole iPhone for “viruses”. It’s just not possible with Sandboxing so it’s wild to me they approve this to begin with.
Show threadNathan KingApr 24, 2025
@mikematter @marcoarment I used to ask questions like this until I worked as a developer for a large, dysfunctional company. Policies, organizational structure, and misplaced incentives can create a situation where each individual contributor makes a rational decision, but the cumulative outcome is something like this.
Show threadBApr 24, 2025
@marcoarment this feels so much like turning a big ship, and less like not seeing the iceberg; which is honestly a shit thing from a company that used to be user-centric in execution not just in “values”
Show threadNate Vack 🍴Apr 24, 2025

@marcoarment I kind of feel like “once a week, go through the top 100 grossing apps and investigate the obvious scams” is maybe a reasonable expectation for a company Apple’s size

Especially if “our store is closed because it is safe” is their entire brand and legal argument

Show threadgoomba 🇨🇦Apr 24, 2025
@marcoarment I often imagine what the world would look like if tech companies used a fraction of their vast wealth to hire staff to monitor these things. Ah well, no consequence for negligence it seems, so we’ll never find out
Show threadIan PhillipsApr 24, 2025
@marcoarment “the purpose of a system is what it does”.
Show threadDavid CohenApr 24, 2025
@marcoarment How dare you accuse them of inaction when they have a dedicated iOS emoji team?? 😒
Show threadTimo GrünApr 24, 2025

@marcoarment
Apropos Siri, genuine recent exchange:

Me: Hey Siri, your performance recently has been unacceptable.
Siri: Is it serious? I can call emergency services.

I was very tempted to let it do it.