Thread

1. Gareth321 · 1789560773 · focus · HN ↗

   MAYBE operating systems shouldn't have gatekeepers which can deny access to billions of customers for any and no reason at all. Apple and Google are WELL past due for regulation in this space. The fact that we cannot download and install software from the internet onto our phones JUST like we can do with our computers is a symbol of our inept and ineffective politicians.

   And before someone says "well akshully you can technically do it on Android," Google has been working tirelessly to make it as onerous as possible for both developers and customers. For example, users need to separately authorise each app (browser, files manager, alternative store, etc) to install an APK from outside the Play Store. Google also does background scans using "Play Protect" which will periodically delete apps Google doesn't approve of. This happened to me with SmartTubeNext. I have a dozen other ways Google ensures users are discouraged from stepping outside the Play Store.

   1. setgree · 1789563659 · focus · HN ↗

      And what should we do about apps' getting hacked, sending out malicious updates that get auto-updated and thereby infecting tens of millions or billions of phones simultaneously?

      I'm not saying we have the perfect system but anything that slants the system towards "easier downloads" or "less gatekeeping" brings large, obvious risks. I don't see how regulation would address them.

      1. Maskawanian · 1789564144 · focus · HN ↗

         How about treating people like adults for a start? How about starting public awareness campaigns about proper digital hygiene. Not everything has to be nanny state garbage.

         1. NorthSouthNorth · 1789569569 · focus · HN ↗

            I don't know. Literally every single person I help with tech support makes me doubt this is possible. People do not care in the slightest and treat suggestions to learn basic digital hygiene as if you've asked them to a computer science degree in its entirety.

            Even super basic stuff like remembering a single secure password instead of reusing the same 2 or 3 basic initials-dob-symbol permutations that were probably pwned 10 years ago seems insurmountable.

            1. osmukka · 1789572182 · focus · HN ↗

               IMO in that case its their own fault. After all they have free will and can use it against their own good if they so choose. Let them get pwned a few times and see if they learn.

               1. diegolas · 1789574081 · focus · HN ↗

                  that's so dumb on so many levels... should we strip cars from active safety measures and let drivers who are not super good at driving just kill themselves on the road?

                  1. myaccountonhn · 1789575321 · focus · HN ↗

                     Maybe a drivers license should be needed to have a phone.

                     1. diegolas · 1789655608 · focus · HN ↗

                        maybe there should be alternatives to using the smartphone for everything, personal finances included. my bank stopped offering a home banking service for example (yes, of course the mobile app still sucks), and it's a trend.
                  2. preg_match · 1789576542 · focus · HN ↗

                     Well cars kill people, granny using the password “password” does not. We can’t prevent all levels of stupidity and carelessness.

                     If people want to have dumb passwords and download malware, then so be it. You think they can’t do that today with the google play store? Of course they can. Most malware on android comes from the Google play store.

                  3. fauigerzigerk · 1789579913 · focus · HN ↗

                     I agree, but what I disagree with is the idea that everyone must be prevented from freely installing software on their own devices to make sure unskilled people cannot be tricked into doing it.

                     I don't really understand why a well designed sandbox and permissions system doesn't solve the problem.

                  4. osmukka · 1789936917 · focus · HN ↗

                     Parent commenter's argument wasn't that people don't know to use good passwords, instead they just don't care. I think in that case getting hacked is completely one's own fault. If we're comparing this to cars, a closer analogy would be dying in a car crash because of an unfastened seatbelt.
            2. chipsrafferty · 1789572301 · focus · HN ↗

               A shocking number of people have passwords like "shovel"

               1. gvurrdon · 1789632352 · focus · HN ↗

                  When assisting friends of elderly relatives I was surprised to see that one of them had managed to set up a password of "a1".

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