I wonder if, as a thought experiment, someone could create an App store with a completely transparent self-signing mechanism that allowed you to install apps yourself (but only to your device).
If so, one would think that unless Apple gets to dictate terms strongly to the App stores, that this would only be a matter of time.
Important note: companies can’t just build fake app stores for their own apps, but must allow other developers to publish apps on them. So unless someone builds a place for sketchy apps and they all pass the notarization process and don’t break any agreement, it’s highly unlikely
A great idea. Probably the only folks able to do something like this would be apple (at least pre- DOJ litigation) because they didn't have to worry about what publishers of apps thought. Once they have to offer other app stores publishers won't accept that and will just move off the apple store.
You don’t think that those third parties would move their apps to be exclusive to their stores?
The way it is now is very straightforward. If you want an app, you know where to get it. You know who’s vetted it. You know who’s handling your payment info. You (now) know what information about you is being gathered and disseminated.
Can you imagine how terrible a world where every App thinks it needs its own store would be?
I was thinking about the same thing, but it can (and will) create a situation where each big Corp will have its own store with its apps unavailable on the Appstore obviously.
Actually an interesting question: will Apple be happy to sign third party app stores and package managers? Including those that, say, sell apps and take a percentage?
The problem with this logic is that every company is going to set up their own App Store. Microsoft, Epic, etc. Then for every app that I use right now on my iPhone I would have to source from several App Stores. It will make my experience very cumbersome.
I'd support this if app developers were also required to release their apps on all the available stores and obey the policies of a particular store for users who obtain the app through that store.
Oh, in that case it's even easier because Apple could add a clause saying that app licenses override the default App Store EULA if they are more permissive.
Maybe this is the antitrust law we need for app stores: ban owners of app stores from distributing apps by any means if they wouldn't allow an app with the same functionality but written by an arbitrary third party to be distributed in their own store.
Perhaps App store publishers can unionize too. For example, instead of having small companies publishing apps themselves, they can have an organization do it for them, so it's big organization versus BigCorp, instead of little guy versus BigCorp. Also, it could provide some more transparency of the App Store sales.
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