Note: the “app gatekeepers” in this context is the United States Government.

Yes, and Apple's App Store is the mechanism of that control.

Hey, in the EU we don't have that crappy Apple Intelligence, but at least we have alternative App Stores. :o) Governments can go both ways!

The mechanism of control is actually the hosting, ISP, domain registrar, etc.

Oracle shut TikTok's servers down, because they didn't want to risk being fined a trillion dollars.

How do you propose that it works when Apple has control Molly with US law?

ACAB

Uh the law specifically makes it illegal to distribute ByteDance apps

Apple and Google are at the whim of Congress here

Don't care; doesn't supersede my right to general-purpose computing

Yes, if you live in the United States, our elected government has the ability to supersede your right to general-purpose computing which is—as far as I’m aware—not in either the Constitution, the bill of rights, nor in later amendments.

If not then should be. I ANAL but Feels Like™ the 4th should cover it as the computer is an extension of my Self.

Lol no, access to executables produced by a foreign adversary is not protected by the 4th amendment

Don't care; fuck all nationalism. We are all complete people — don't frame your own existence as that of a human resource that belongs to some higher power.

You can say "fuck all nationalism" all you want but you are in the vast, vast minority, and until you have the guns and the army to do things your way, dealwiddit.

Apple never told you you were getting a general-purpose computer in the form of an iPhone

You knew what you were buying

Correct, I am well aware of what Apple are and don't use iOS. I'm talking about normies — I hope this makes some of them realize computing freedom is something to care about :)

Where do you go for your freedom?

Nobody prevents you from running your own TikTok locally.

can't relate since im on android

Same thing’s happening on the Play Store

you can sideload apks

Even the term “side” load frames the concept as something you're getting an exception for and not as a natural normal thing.

Covid already proved that the government can yank your shit at their whim with absolutely no recourse on your part. It’s just nobody was paying any attention because they all lost their mind. Hopefully people wake up and see how little the government gives a shit about you or I.