So if I’m reading this correctly, this is only a change in One UI, which Samsung makes, and only affects their devices… So why is Google being sued other than for headlines?
Also, it’s still not blocked, just additional warnings educating users about security, or lack thereof with side loading.
Not really on Epic’s side here honestly.
You’re talking about the same Epic that intentionally broke TOS, threw a tantrum when it was correctly kicked off the store, responded with a prepared 80-page lawsuit a day later, lost on all but one count, and is now strutting around pretending it was all for the players while taking their money by the fistful.
Apples TOS is complete bullshit and I support anyone that breaks it.
Wow, what a freedom fighter.
Apple’s (and Google&Co’s) walled garden policies are absolute bullshit and should be outlawed, but in this, Epic is in the wrong. They agreed to a contract, they didn’t like it, so they chose to break it. Besides, saying that you “support something” does fuck all. Go and do something. Call a politician and get the law changed, you rebel.
To be fair, calling a politician will do fuck all to change a law, unless you have a giant bag of money, which Google and apple have.
They agreed to a contract, they didn’t like it, so they chose to break it.
What was the contract?
The relevant part in simple terms: if an app is distributed on the App Store, all in-app purchases must be made through the App Store (so Apple can have their 30%), the app can’t bypass this, and the app can’t contain links/buttons/calls to action to have the user bypass it. Epic implemented their own independent in-app purchase solution that violated this, and they got kicked out.
Whether or not the 30% cut is fair is not relevant to the topic. I think it’s a baseless amount, and Apple’s walled garden is clearly anti-competitive and anti-consumer. The point is that Epic’s violation of the TOS was a premeditated action in order to inject their fake “for the players” narrative into their litigations and rally the Fortnite-addicted kids who didn’t know better. They had an 80-page lawsuit and a pissing CGI short film ready on the day. Apple wants all of the money, Epic wants all of the money, and they’re not above using every dirty trick they know.
Obligatory IANAL, and this is old info, TOS may have changed. Hoeg Law on Youtube specializes in video games, it probably has a more in-depth and up-to-date analysis of the situation.
Specifically because Apple is engaging in anti competitive and anti consumer practices (your words) I have a very difficult time seeing this action as “dirty.” Companies will do what companies do and pursue money, but if their pursuit of money coincidentally happens to fight for consumer rights then I don’t think we should say it’s dirty.
Sort of like “if you don’t have your own, store bought is fine” lol
They didn’t have to play. That’s the point. They didn’t have to agree to the contract. But since they did agree (and then intentionally broke the contract), they’re wrong too. They can’t be absolved of their part in this because the other party also did wrong. This is a two wrongs don’t make a right situation.
Besides, saying that you “support something” does fuck all.
So what? Am I not allowed to express my opinion because of that?
Also, my politicians have already started to outlaw these practices. There is obviously still much work to be done but it’s happening.
Fuck you and everything you stand for.
They broke TOS in order to serve the letter. You can’t sue for something that doesn’t affect you. Saying they threw a tantrum is disgraceful
And they should have won the Apple suit but Apple was deemed to not have a large enough market share to have a monopoly…even if they have a monopoly on Apple products
It was terrible news for consumers
Eh a lot of TOS bullshit is exactly that. And Apple is very far from perfect, especially with anything that could even think of threatening their walled garden. I assume everything Apple does is bad for the consumer, because 99% of the time that’s accurate.
Was curious of what the step is and found this video for Samsung https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6TMvBQ7Sm0
And for Google Pixel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hD9nsSmDG_8
Doesn’t seem too different from the old enable unknown apps aside from Samsung requiring an additional step. Unless third party apps get completely blocked having to enable it doesn’t seem like a bad thing with how clueless lot of people are about apks and risks associated with them if they didn’t get it from a safe source.
When did this become a thing? I sideload apps all the time with no issues.
Afaik new feature in android 15
Edit: Nvm, just read the article, apparently a feature in latest OneUI. So unless you use Samsung you wouldn’t know it. That aside, with android 15 you will get some sort of “feature” which discourages sideloading.
Well my Z Fold 3 stopped updating after Android 14, so I guess I need to make this phone last as long as humanly possible cause this is bullshit.
Lol same thought. I just got a new phone which came with Android 14 and I’m not updating this device.
Samsung user.
Spotted the inclusion of Auto Blocker in the last system update.
The App can be disabled, or as I did, adb uninstalled.
honestly I think the complaint about there being no way for other app stores to become “authorized sources” is valid
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except there’s no warning for apps distributed through google you just hit one button the default state of android as a result is google = safe 😃 anything else = BAD SCARY VIRUS DON’T ⚠️ it never used to give such warnings endlessly and it was fine the average person these days is unfortunately really tech illiterate for some reason and googles intentionally trying to scare them into thinking sideloading is dangerous sure windows does it but windows does it for literally everything windows is constantly giving warnings so no one cares about warnings on windows android basically never gives warnings but then you try and leave google’s ecosystem and it starts with the security theatre
Woah, use commas.
no
based
Well tech illiterate people are the last ones I’d trust to properly side load and doing their due diligence of knowing the source of their apk instead of a random one they found on the web.
Personally when I install F-droid on a new phone I make sure to check the signing keys or at the very least the checksum. As unsafe as Google Play can be I trust tech illiterate people even less of safely getting apks.
I trust people to get apks online most people manage just fine getting exes online some people just get scared easily by warnings
If that is enough to turn them away I don’t buy them being able to get apks properly.
most people manage just fine getting exes online
Spoken like someone who has never had to support tech illiterate people who install software they find online.
Epic Games
…it rings a bell, but I’m too busy worrying about people who aren’t corpo shitheads trying to convince the market they can offer something different
Epic are the ones with the resources to sue, but a favorable decision would almost certainly also apply to third party repos such as https://f-droid.org/
Because sideloading is definitely a major security issue if you don’t know what you’re doing?
edit: obviously I am very much against banning side loading. Sideloading is close to being the only reason I use Android. But I can’t understand how few warnings really make people angry.
It’s definitely not a great idea to let general public just willy nilly install
minecraft_cracked.apkwithout at least few warnings. I love Fdroid/Obtanium and I’m not going to deny it’s rather inconvenient to update apps with them but cmon…The issue is treating all third party stores as side loading, when no other category of device does this. It violates EU anti trust laws, and possibly US antitrust laws as this lawsuit explores. We trust people to have figured this out for PCs and macs, mobile is quite literally no different at this point.
Modern Windows gives you warning when you try to execute unsigned executables.
Android is not outright banning sideloading. It’s just showing you some annoying warnings, which, for me personally, is not enough deterrant to stop people from installing bad shit on their machine that has close to everything about that person.
F-Droid is a malware guys.
Good chance if you have Fdroid you know what you’re doing
If you don’t know what you are doing why would you be side loading? It seems pretty easy to avoid
I’m very happy my 12y old kid can’t just sideload shit nilly willy. He legit Googles minecraft hacks and downloads random apks and stuff if he gets the chance)
(his phone is also fully locked down with parental because a 12y old should have free reign on the internet, but that’s beside the point)
honestly i think letting kids experiment on their own devices and get them full of malware is a good thing. its the perfect time to learn since a kid doesnt have any money to steal anyway, and the parent can just come in and factory reset the device if needed. Too much protecton means people never learn how to be responsible without it.
Oh yeah, I don’t have an issue with them ruining their devices. I just have them locked down because I don’t want them to have free use on the internet. So much mindrot on there…
Scammers make old people install malicious app designed to steal user data and obviously much more. It’s a trick as old as the Internet itself but it’s much more devastating when literally almost every aspect of your life is at stake.
what if I have a store that checks security properly? I mean how do you believe app store and play store then? belive them simply because they are corporate overlords? this is like saying “we don’t deserve freedom because we may do crimes”
They’re not making it impossible to install. Trust me if that was the case I’d just use iphone. But few warnings definitely don’t hurt imo.
