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Comment by Chris2048

15 days ago

> developers have no choice but to introduce the restrictions which only allow you to operate via them

ok, but what does that mean? Identification, and a fee for that service? Is this unreasonable?

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Chris2048

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Aachen  15 days ago

What's the service when I've purchased a phone?

If they were to require subscribing and paying a fee to use their required online service to be able to use the hardware, that sounds like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tying_(commerce)

  • Chris2048  15 days ago

    You're talking about a hypothetical situation where end users pay the app store directly, rather than indirectly via developer fees?

    Also, Tying is usually applied for unrelated, unnecessary, or non-beneficial services. It's not obvious to me that it applies here.

    • array_key_first  14 days ago

      > You're talking about a hypothetical situation where end users pay the app store directly, rather than indirectly via developer fees?

      It doesn't matter much, you pay it regardless.

      > Also, Tying is usually applied for unrelated, unnecessary, or non-beneficial services.

      Yes, Apple and Google charge 30% for basically nothing.

      I know some people will complain about that. They will say, "no, they do stuff!"

      From what I've seen, they do as close to nothing as possible. Malware makes it through, deceptive apps make it through, nobody gives a single fuck. If you report anything to Apple they will spit in your face. They do not care.

      This is less of a service fee and more a of a mafioso "pay me, for your sake" type fee.

      1 reply →

    • Aachen  14 days ago

      I don't need to "buy" a third-party identification service when buying a phone from my favorite vendor. I can use F-Droid, download an APK from Codeberg or Microsoft, or run software that I've made myself

      What store fees should we be paying just to be able to run our own software, and friends' software, on our own hardware?

      I don't see a hypothetical here. It's how Android has always worked