> I like that iOS takes a heavy handed approach to the App Store and controls it completely.
This is fine, even good as you say, but the problem is there are no other options.
Apple can arbitrarily kill an app you rely on as a user, and you have no recourse. It'll stay on your device but you won't get updates or be able to reinstall later.
Any friction and costs applied to devs will flow on to costs for the customer.
So that's the harm to users, which is hard to quantify.
> anti trust law is to protect me as a user not you as a developer.
Are you sure? Standard Oil set good prices for consumers. The issue was they drove other businesses out of business. Restraint of trade was a big part of it.
Ah interesting. I don't think I'd agree with that because if all competition is nuked and prices are nice today, it's still a lot harder to rebuild a healthy ecosystem if/when it gets abused down the line. Whether intentionally or through stagnation.
I'm not saying we should look at just one or the other, but both should be weighed and considered.
In Australia we actually have a bit of a problem with a supermarket duopoly, who have apparently coincidentally both decided to sell house brand milk very cheaply (IIRC $1/L). This has upset a lot of farmers and producers as it decides a large amount of their revenue. I'm not sure what our legal landscape dictates, but it certainly seems unfair and anti-competitive even though it is really good for me personally.
> Apple can arbitrarily kill an app you rely on as a user, and you have no recourse. It'll stay on your device but you won't get updates or be able to reinstall later.
This has happened to me with adblockios and several other apps earlier.
This is fine, even good as you say, but the problem is there are no other options.
Apple can arbitrarily kill an app you rely on as a user, and you have no recourse. It'll stay on your device but you won't get updates or be able to reinstall later.
Any friction and costs applied to devs will flow on to costs for the customer.
So that's the harm to users, which is hard to quantify.
> anti trust law is to protect me as a user not you as a developer.
Are you sure? Standard Oil set good prices for consumers. The issue was they drove other businesses out of business. Restraint of trade was a big part of it.