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Comment by avalys | Hacker News Reader

It’s not about being approved by Apple. It’s about a digital signature that proves the identity of the author.

Can users install apps on their iPhones, unless they were approved by Apple? That's the future of software freedom and user liberties on macOS.

Ok, can I use EIDAS? That is surely stronger than whatever identity validation Apple is doing. (I know for sure.) And it doesn't cost $100.

That might be worth pursuing within the EU.

That said, if it required something like a "qualified electronic seal" I think the cost would be substantially more (600 EUR a year?), and Apple might turn around and start charging a notarization fee to recoup their infrastructural costs.

The article mentions a "quality control process", so it's not only about the author being authorized. I view this as a first step to turn desktop computers into locked down iOS devices.

Currently that amounts to an automated malware scan[1] - the closest analog I can see is how Firefox requires browser addons to be submitted for approval even if not distributed through addons.mozilla.org

[1]: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/security/notarizin...

Same thing. Apple has to add an approval stamp. Why does it matter if I download spyware that's been signed or not? It's a control mechanism, the water starts out cool before it boils.

To the satisfaction of Apple, not to the user.

You can't get the digital signature without Apple's approval.

Clearly it's about more than that. the article itself contains why that is.

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