LETS GOOOOOOOOO

🤩 sure hope so!

My expectations for the appeal process are as follows:

I believe Apple has a strong case for the appeal. It’s unreasonable to have a policy that prevents Apple from informing its users about potential risks, especially when it’s being presented as a means of competition.

Anyone is free to develop software and target any audience as long as they adhere to the platform’s owners’ rules of engagement. Maintaining a platform can be extremely costly, so businesses that profit from it must fully comply with industry standards.

So, what about the App Store fees associated with external links?

Putting your app on the App Store is a business decision. It involves targeting an audience on Apple’s intellectual property. Anyone can calculate the costs and determine if it’s financially viable to list their app on the Store.

Consumers on the Apple platform have certain expectations, particularly regarding protections, as I mentioned earlier. Blocking Apple from effectively warning its users about the potential risks associated with disabling these protections would allow dark pattern-driven schemes to flourish.

Apple wants to properly warn its users about leaving the App Store environment to complete a purchase, for instance. This isn’t a “Scare Screen,” but rather a proportionate educational tool to ensure informed consent from the user.

So just as users routinely “consent” to privacy-invasive data collection without fully understanding what they’re agreeing to, they’re also vulnerable when asked to provide payment information or tap third-party links outside of trusted environments like the App Store.

"Consent to the use of personal data has not only a legal, but also a cognitive dimension… Data consumers may consent to the use of their personal data, without being cognitively aware and sufficiently informed of the nature and extent of that use by data providers." www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/new...

For example, a study on giving personal data away:
"Fully 97% of Americans say they are ever asked to approve privacy policies, yet only about one-in-five adults overall say they always (9%) or often (13%) read a company’s privacy policy before agreeing to it."
www.pewresearch.org/internet/201...

Unfortunately, multiple studies have shown that consumers don’t read neutral messages. Consequently, many companies have implemented tools and mechanisms to ensure informed consent from their users. These mechanisms include scroll detection on legal agreements and double consent requirements.

Direct quotes:

For instance, the section on ‘neutral messaging’ prohibits Apple from providing proper warnings, information, and education to its user base when linked outside the App Store. www.documentcloud.org/documents/25...

These aren’t just random features—they’re part of the trust Apple has built over years. Any ruling that undermines these values deserves deeper scrutiny.

Let’s start with a fundamental question: what do Apple customers consistently expect—and receive?

✅ Strong privacy controls
✅ Transparent payment and refund systems
✅ Clear subscription management with instant cancel options
✅ Robust parental controls