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Comment by layer8 | Hacker News Reader

…which you can’t if your app is excluded by Apple’s current restrictions (emulators etc.).

annnnd even then, apple still gets to review and reject your app before you can list on an alternate app store.

> Notarization for iOS apps — a baseline review that applies to all apps, regardless of their distribution channel, focused on platform integrity and protecting users. Notarization involves a combination of automated checks and human review.

So.. Epic makes an IOS store, puts Fortnite on that store, and Apple rejects it for reasons related to previous rules on the IOS store (or some grudge). I guess we're due for another round of Epic v. Apple before the decade ends.

Is that going to change? It looks like Apple is charging 0.50EUR per first-annual install of every alternative app store (no free installs for the first million). So it's going to cost money to run an alternative app store.

I don't think there's any category excluded by current App Store restrictions, that would actually be likely to end up having more than 1MM EU installs per year (and therefore paying Apple a dime under this new model), is there?

...well, except porn and sex-work apps, I guess. Will nobody think of the poor, penniless OnlyFans CEO? /s

and the one potential category of those apps, various flavors of open source software, can be distributed by a non-profit organization and be exempt from the fees.

As the official “developer”, the nonprofit would also be liable for those apps. I’m not sure that will be practical.

Yeah, it wouldn't be something that could be entered into without some consideration, but there are already a many, many software projects that are successfully distributed by non-profit organizations, so it certainly is feasible.

I'd side with OnlyFans over Apple to be honest. OF almost destroyed itself but ultimately empowers creators to post what they want, for however much they want (Even if it ultimately is way above my paygrade. monthly subscriptions plus absurd PPV prices).

Apple at this point is just surpressing whatever it deems bad, even if that app as mandated by the EU wants to be hosted outside of teh App store.

Oh, I completely agree. My point was that OF (and the entire sex work / porn industry) is intensely profitable — at least for the business owners, not necessarily the talent — and so half a Euro per install won't be any skin off their backs.

Actually, they'll likely be excited to pay it, since finally having access to the iOS market will unlock tons more revenue. (And lead-gen fees are no stranger to their business model.)

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