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Malleable software: Restoring user agency in a world of locked-down apps (2025)

162 points · 75 comments · evakhoury

  1. apatheticonion · · focus · HN ↗
    I believe it is critical for regulators to force mega-corporations (and software vendors in general) to permit third party clients.

    I use services like YouTube every day, why can I get sued if I write my own YouTube client that's better than the one provided by Google? Why can I get sued if I create a chat client that aggregates the myriad of chat services I use?

    I'd argue that this even extends down the stack. Why is there only Android and iOS? It's because hardware drivers are practically impossible to write for undocumented hardware (which is virtually all hardware). Vendors should be compelled to document their hardware such that drives could be produced for them.

    Asahi Linux is a testament to a team attempting the impossible and making unbelievable progress - but it's still not competitive with first party drivers.

    I want a world where I can run Linux on my MacBook Pro and my phone. I want a world where I can flash a custom firmware to my TV that removes the bloat and spyware. I want a world where I can use the services I depend on in ways that are better than what the vendor can produce. I want a world where I can rebuild applications and games lost to time.

    I have the skills and desire to do these things.

    But nah. Not allowed.

    1. chii · · focus · HN ↗
      Everything you listed is exactly the reason why copyleft and GPLv3 needs to be the first and foremost license when opensourcing. If proliferated, it can give you all of these freedoms listed that you (and i) desire.
      1. Terr_ · · focus · HN ↗
        > If proliferated, it can give you all of these freedoms listed that you (and i) desire.

        Hold up, let's not oversell things here. GPL/Copyleft just means that you have to share source if you share binaries. However big companies exploit the digital commons differently now.

        Instead they run the important pieces remotely in their data-centers, and release neither binary nor source. If they do a client binary (e.g. phone apps), they can just sprinkle in some naive encryption and some "copyrighted content" on the server. Then if you make a custom client--or even document how to do it--you might go to jail. [0]

        [0] <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Anti-circumvention_laws" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Anti-circumvention_laws

        1. em-bee · · focus · HN ↗
          that&#x27;s what the AGPL is for.
      2. ShinyLeftPad · · focus · HN ↗
        sadly LLMs are killing GPL.
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