Like a Bouncer at a Bookstore: Texas' App Store Accountability Act

I wish Texans realised that sovereignty over your own computer was in the same camp as the right to bear arms - the power to control your own life and not have someone else control you. Maybe this is a sign they're starting to get it.

I don’t mind Apple’s walled garden in the abstract, but the fact is they’ve been a terrible steward of their App Store. If you search for an app to do something small but useful, instead you’re presented with an ocean of identical apps that all have $10 a week subscription fees. The golden age of “hey I’ll just go on the App Store and buy something handy for $3” has long past, and a lot of those few-dollar apps have switched to a subscription plan anyway, meaning the money you spent was thrown away.

This law is terrible and I hope it isn't implemented, but it's enabled by the locked down and centralized nature of iOS and the way most people get apps on Android, the Play store.

Once you try Android, you can't go back. I used an iPhone all my life, but a few months ago I switched to GrapheneOS and the FOSS software ecosystem is fantastic.

On iPhones, if a government doesn't want an app, like those ICE tracking apps, they can force Apple to remove them and no-one can install them. On Android, I source more than 90% of my apps from GitHub.

Dispelling FUD about Android:

1. The Google locking down Android only affects devices with privileged Play Services. GrapheneOS will not be affected because play services are not installed by default, and if they are installed, they are sandboxed and wouldn't have that authority.

2. If you were on a stock Android distribution, it's not that bad to wait 24 hours once. Yes, Google could make it worse, but that's just speculation. Their monopoly is being challenged to an extent through the GrapheneOS attestation, and will hopefully become illegal under anti trust law.

The change is only in play servics, AOSP takes a lot of steps to protect your privacy.

3. Causes for incompatibility on GrapheneOS are either exploit protections catching problems with an app, which can be disabled, or the app explicitly banning alternative operating systems as security theatre.

Only a small portion of banking and government apps completely ban GrapheneOS. Over 99% of apps are compatible. App developers have to add additional measured to break their app on GrapheneOS. I have over 40 apps and none are broken or have broken.

Some banking apps are officially supporting GrapheneOS through their privacy respecting attestation.

As more people use GrapheneOS, more apps will be pressured to support it. For example, although VW recently banned GrapheneOS, Hyundai and Kia have added express support for GrapheneOS in their apps.

> requires parents to approve every app download and re-approve use of apps every time a “significant change” is made

Sounds good to me! We keep being told that parents should do a better job and this helps!