The funny thing is, Apple originally had plans for sideloading all the way back in 2008. An email that came out from the Apple vs. Epic trial last year had none other than Steve Jobs signing off on UI copy for installing apps from outside the App Store! [1]

Obviously, those plans were shelved when they changed strategy for iOS to walled-garden, but it's surprising how in the course of fourteen years the issue went from product roadmap to cultural anathema at Apple.

[1] https://www.theverge.com/c/22611236/epic-v-apple-emails-proj...

I think they assumed, like the rest of us to a degree, that "it will never happen". If this kind of "ffs, just effing solve it with a law already" kind of law comes through, I'm seriously considering moving to an EU country.

There is no "if this comes through". The law was adopted, all that's left is a formal step (getting the law signed) and then a standard waiting period (six months to allow companies to adapt).

GDPR came out years ago and almost no one is compliant today.

That's just not true, it's a going concern for anyone working on online projects in Europe. It's come up for me personally in discussions with every client on every project for the last 4 years now. We're even at the point where major companies are being fined for misteps:

https://techcrunch.com/2022/03/15/facebook-2018-breaches-dpc...

Where are you getting your data from?

not the commenter, but I would imagine they're referring to the stipulation in GDPR that it must be as easy to decline marketing cookies as it is to accept them, which the overwhelming majority of websites don't abide by

Okay, so no data. Just speculation.

if you've been on any websites in the EU (or a country with similar DP laws) recently, you'll know this without even thinking

but here you are anyway: https://noyb.eu/en/noyb-aims-end-cookie-banner-terror-and-is... https://noyb.eu/sites/default/files/2022-07/ANNUAL%20REPORT%...

if you still don't believe me, try and use google maps, or youtube in incognito mode

We take GDPR very seriously in the EU. Fines are steep. There are difficulties getting foreign companies to comply, and there isn't a one-size-fits-all compliance toolbox for those breaches.

The noises out of government have been that this will happen for a few years now, at least from the perspective of an EU citizen. They should have been preparing.

That’s why I moved here five years ago from the US. It’s actually pretty easy, depending on where you go.