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Comment by smoldesu | Hacker News Reader

Nothing worse than the status-quo, presumably: https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/1/22361762/iphone-russia-sta...

Given that US/FIVE-EYES surveillance is a prerequisite for all American smartphones, I'd at least appreciate them using their state power to benefit the customer for once. The US' negligence in prosecuting any of the transparently corrupt FAANG companies makes it obvious how they don't want to butcher any of their own cash cows. Trusting corporations to dissent this late in the game is a futile and sad way to watch your hope for humanity deteriorate.

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So you really think the state controlling content is not going to be more restrictive than private corporations?

And why are you quoting an article about Russia?

No, I think the state will do a better job at preserving individual freedom than the free market will. Normally I wouldn't take that stance, but the alternative is Apple's lock-in mentality and Google's neverending advertisement/data treadmill. Given that a secure smartphone is off the table anyways, I'd prefer the state as a custodian for digital rights. Plus, then nobody's confused about who holds all the power.

> And why are you quoting an article about Russia?

To emphasize the scope of influence on Apple software and the precedent for state control.

What country are you living in? You mean the one with the highest incarceration rate in the world?

Both sides are have been guilty of suppressing free speech that they don’t agree with.

Could you please stop posting in the flamewar style? You've unfortunately been doing a lot of that. It's not what this site is for, and destroys what it is for.

If you wouldn't mind reviewing https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and taking the intended spirit of the site more to heart, we'd be grateful.

> So you really think the state controlling content is not going to be more restrictive than private corporations?

Yes, because then app restrictions that violate free speech/press will get slammed by the supreme court.

Let me introduce you to a little state you might have heard of called Florida where the governor is punishing a company for criticizing a law that was passed and trying to expel a student group that is not pro-Israel.

Or other states that make it a crime to boycott Israel.

You think the app review process is Byzantine. Wait until you try to get 8 justices to review your app and how long do you think that will take?

That stuff is going to get smacked down by the federal SC hard

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