Perhaps, but what I was emphasizing was that on iPhone such apps will likely not come pre-installed; neither by Apple (vs e.g. Samsung) nor by a carrier because I seriously doubt Apple would allow that.
Instead, what Apple is doing is finding a new balance that appease those who are attacking the legitimacy of the App Store (and its toll booth) while in practice the vast majority of iPhone users will retain their privacy.
> Perhaps, but what I was emphasizing was that on iPhone such apps will likely not come pre-installed; neither by Apple (vs e.g. Samsung) nor by a carrier because I seriously doubt Apple would allow that.
If Facebook is willing to pay to have their app preinstalled, unremovable, and granted root permissions on Android, why in the world wouldn't they be willing to force users to sideload their app on iOS?
Why in the world does it matter? If Facebook wants to use the iOS sideloading scene to promote organ harvesting or whatever, we use that to sue them. From the outside-looking-in, it seems like another one of those hissy-fit scenarios where Apple's petty disagreement with other companies actively reduces the capability of their devices.
Sue them for what? Gathering user data that users gave an explicit permission to gather?
Previously, the app devs wouldn't be able to, for example, lock out the entire app from being used, just because you didn't give them permissions for something that isn't vital for the app to function (e.g., location tracking or photo gallery). App Store rules prohibit that behavior, and those apps get rejected.
Sideloading would allow FB and others to do that and more, since they won't need to follow App Store rules anymore. And I don't think there is anything illegal about them doing it.
Instead, what Apple is doing is finding a new balance that appease those who are attacking the legitimacy of the App Store (and its toll booth) while in practice the vast majority of iPhone users will retain their privacy.