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submitted 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) by dwazou@lemm.ee to c/technology@lemmy.world
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[-] lka1988@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Every company who takes a cut from in-app purchases, be it subscriptions or DLC, should be kneecapped by this ruling.

It's one thing for the hosting marketplace (App Store, Steam, Play Store, etc) to take a cut from the initial purchase of a game/app. But it's a whole other issue for that initial marketplace to keep reaching further into the dev's pockets and take a cut from in-app purchases unrelated to where it was originally obtained.

[-] Greercase@lemmus.org 2 points 1 month ago

That just turns paid apps into splash screens for in-app purchases though. That way apple never gets a cut because the "purchase" is in-app. Pay to be listed (maybe tiered depending on downloads) seems fair especially because it doesn't incentivize people to do scammy things with pricing. It's already a fee anyway.

[-] lka1988@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 1 month ago

That just turns paid apps into splash screens for in-app purchases though

Welcome to Android lol

[-] Blackmist@feddit.uk 3 points 1 month ago

"This app is Free!"

*opens app*

"Psyche! Get your credit card out..."

[-] lepinkainen@lemmy.world -1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

I’m not entirely optimistic about this ruling, but we’ll see.

Apple had no reason NOT to give refunds and then use their weight to claw it back from the app developer.

But what happens when not-too-legit apps use non-AppStore external sites to unlock features in an app?

In a perfect world it’s cheap and easy and reliable.

But it can also be a scammy shop that lures you into expensive subscriptions with no easy way to cancel them (eg. gym membership) and what happens when Little Timmy spends $9000 for Nlartbux in a mobile game’s external store?

Could go either way 🤷🏻‍♂️

[-] cmnybo@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 1 month ago

what happens when Little Timmy spends $9000 for Nlartbux in a mobile game’s external store?

That's why you don't put your credit card info in a phone or tablet and let kids play with it.

[-] lka1988@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

I’m not entirely optimistic about this ruling, but we’ll see.

Apple had no reason NOT to give refunds and then use their weight to claw it back from the app developer.

Greed.

But what happens when not-too-legit apps use non-AppStore external sites to unlock features in an app?

I suppose we will see what happens. That's a very slippery slope though, full of FUD, and is the same logic that Apple, Microsoft, and others try to use to keep users locked into their walled gardens.

In a perfect world it’s cheap and easy and reliable.

But it can also be a scammy shop that lures you into expensive subscriptions with no easy way to cancel them (eg. gym membership) and what happens when Little Timmy spends $9000 for Nlartbux in a mobile game’s external store?

Could be. Multiple alternative markets exist for Android already though, and some shops are scammy as fuck. Google has already put protections in place to prevent sideloading potentially harmful apps (including alternative markets), but the savvy user who knows how to bypass those restrictions should* know how to spot scammy shit.

Could go either way 🤷🏻‍♂️

"For your security" was never about security.

this post was submitted on 06 May 2025
419 points (97.7% liked)

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