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Comment by MBCook | Hacker News Reader

iOS: That’s 100% against the rules. Much like other dark patterns like forcing a sign up or location access as gating to the rest of the app. Or using notifications for advertising.

Now if only Apple would enforce those (or stop doing them themselves).

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I've thought about starting a page to call out the apps that abuse push notifications for ads to show that Apple isn't enforcing its rule.

> 4.5.4 ... Push Notifications should not be used for promotions or direct marketing purposes unless customers have explicitly opted in to receive them via consent language displayed in your app’s UI, and you provide a method in your app for a user to opt out from receiving such messages. Abuse of these services may result in revocation of your privileges.

The worst offender is DoorDash. If you turn off push ads, after you place an order it will prompt you to turn on notifications "to get the latest on your order". Agreeing turns on ads. You get the prompt even if you already have order update notifications enabled.

I block every single notif from nearly every single program on my phone. The only real exceptions are my bank and brokerage and games I play everyday; you know, stuff I actually care about.

I haven't lost anything from blocking the rest, and I'm not about to start allowing now.

"Notif" because it's Not a question of If I will allow them, also because it's not worthy of being called by a full and proper name.

I just don’t install apps.

4.5.4 was what I was thinking of when I mentioned Apple violating their own rules.

They’ve gotten pretty bad about it.

I got a “rate this app” popup from some Apple app (why should they even care?). Can’t remember which one, though, so it’s pure anecdata.

I suspect that some dependency popped it up.

I’ve seen that too, confused the hell out of me.

Deliveroo as well is incredibly needy about wanting me to let it send me notifications. This has the opposite effect as I assume it'll send me spam notifications constantly.

I have a strict rule that only people are allowed to make my devices notify; apps get notifications disabled by default.

Unenforced rules aren't rules so much as taxes on the honest.

That’s a pretty clever phrase!

And a potential cudgel with which to strike those who's success is inconvenient.

Also if they're selectively enforced then they are a way to discriminate.

oof - the app we work on at my company does all of these..

Did you just have an “Are we the baddies?” moment?

They probably get way more reviews with the prompt, and positive ones, than without it, despite how some morally indignant outlier HN commenters would react.

Oh they absolutely work. And given that ratings are about the only thing that matters in the App Store besides search ads, there is a huge incentive to push for it no matter how horrible it is for the user.

Well I understand why people don’t like some of them, the truth is the vast majority of the App Store rules are really good as an end user/consumer.

Unfortunately Apple doesn’t seem to care unless the rule is really good for Apple.

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