Seems crazy that Google is forced to open up when Android is already kind of open but Apple get away with keeping iOS very closed
Offer developers money or perks to launch their apps on the Play Store exclusively or first
Not only that, but Apple is still allowed to offer developers money/perks for exclusively as well but Google can't. This reads more like a pro-Apple wish list.
and it must give rival third-party app stores access to the full catalog of Google Play apps, unless developers opt out individually.
Is it just me or does this part sound a little weird?
So every alternative app store will be a perfect clone of Play's app offering? Potentially without the app devs even knowing since it's a opt-out? huh?
Which means developers being expected by users to support installation and updating through systems they don't use. Because we know that users have common sense and would never expect the unreasonable, especially from small devs.
This is very dumb. So if a purchase a google play store app in epic store who gets the cut, what is the cut. Does google take their percentage and then epic takes theirs.
Reading this, it's my understanding this ruling says Google must host rival "app store" apps in Google play store and must provide them with a copy of all apps on the playstore for them to distribute. Developers do not opt in to the new app-stores, but they can opt out.
Google will have to distribute rival third-party app stores within Google Play, and it must give rival third-party app stores access to the full catalog of Google Play apps, unless developers opt out individually.
Both of those are completely irrelevant tho. Nobody cares about other app stores being available in the playstore, and aurora already can install any app of the playstore.
It's very relevant. Currently I would have to tell someone of said app stores existence. But then would have to hope they could find it first. Then figure out how to sideload after that. Now I could just say. Go get fdroid etc etc etc and install stuff from there. Much simpler and easier.
Even so, google being forced this way will make app installation/updates much more convenient for non-root and oem-rom users. And ensure rhe aurora store or a future iteration of it aren't going to flag peoples accounts for google to take action against them.
Share app revenue “with any person or entity that distributes Android apps” or plans to launch an app store or app platform
Offer developers money or perks to launch their apps on the Play Store exclusively or first
Offer developers money or perks not to launch their apps on rival stores
So basically, hand Apple a monopoly over the smartphone duopoly. Apple still will be allowed to do this, and they have done this already in the past. Wow, way to make sure the free market stays free.
Worst part is, because this is a government made monopoly, Apple can't be taken to court for monopoly behavior. Apple didn't do anything here to make this happen, but will laugh all the way to the bank for it.
I hope google gets fucked up the ass with this, because the play store is a cancerous app store thats giving android as a whole a bad name. I trust F-droid about 50x as much as I trust the play store just because of it promoting honesty and transparency from app developers. At this point, if I want an app that's not on f droid, I usually just won't get it.