And what is Apple supposed to do in this case? Block independent devs from submitting valid apps? Then they’d be blamed for supporting big corp and monopolistic practices. Damned if they do and damned if they don’t.
“It,” here, refers to this one specific instance, and not the overall issue. Copycats have been a serious problem for as long as I can remember. Apple seems to deal with them only once they attract publicity.
See also
https://daringfireball.net/2022/01/apple_app_store_world_rip...
> as I write this, the #3, #7, #14, and #15 word games in the iOS App Store are shameless Wordle clones stealing the name “Wordle”
* Apple is positioning their tight control over the appstore, including high fees to developers and restricted choice to consumers, as providing benefits of a curated & safe experience
* Do we feel that dozens of apps overlaying OpenAI ChatGPT, with various degrees of honesty and deception and monetization methods and privacy policies, are in-line with stated goals of the appstore, and with desires and best interests of the end-users?
My personal impression is "No". This is not to say I want the app store controlled more tightly - on the contrary; I am saying that I am not receiving benefits of the "walled garden / ecosystem" (and this is hardly the first example since iPhone was forced upon me by my employer:), i.e. I do not feel materially safer on AppleStore than I do on Google Play store; but I do feel materially obstructed/impacted when I want to install something that Apple for whatever reason does not.
Or in other words, without claiming anybody did anything particularly wrong here, if you're GOING to allow dozens of apps pretending to be the hottest new thing on the market on the app store, then just get out of my way and let me install what I want without pretense of curation and safety.
Let’s not pretend that it’s hurting the little developer.
It came out in the Epic trial that 80%+ of App Store revenue comes from in app purchases of play to win games.
The biggest players that aren’t games like Netflix, Spotify and other “reader apps” [sic] have forced you to do subscriptions outside of the app store for years.
Then other apps are physical goods where you don’t have to use in app purchases and they can use Apple Pay (regular credit card processing fees).
Agreed that an official app is needed, clearly.
> 2. Doesn't actually seem to solve the problem
For now. Eventually it'll get sorted.
> 3. Puts to shame all the touted benefits of a "walled garden/closed ecosystem".
Despite having the same experience, I disagree with your conclusion.
It has nothing do with the "walled garden" and everything to do with Apple and OpenAI not paying attention to a rapidly emerging use case. The problem arose because OpenAI did not prioritize the initiative to make their own early enough, allowing hundreds of other developers to fill the void and muddy the waters, while Apple allowed these copycats into the App Store without really considering the customer experience.