Category Archives: application

Reddit CEO Will Charge App Makers A High Price

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Reddit CEO Steve Huffman has finally spoken publicly about the company’s deeply unpopular API changes that have resulted in some of the most-used third-party reddit apps saying they will be forced to shut down.

In an AMA (Ask Me Anything) discussion, Huffman promised improvements to Reddit’s own app, but seemed unwilling to make concessions on pricing and other issues that have rankled the community, Engadget reported.

“Reddit needs to be a self-sustaining business, and to do that, we can no longer subsidize commercial entities that require large-scale data use,” he wrote in his AMA post. “Some apps such as Apollo, Reddit is Fun, and Sync have decided this pricing doesn’t work for their business and will close before pricing goes into effect.”

Engadget also reported that there were a number of topics Huffman didn’t address, including why the company priced its API at a rate that developers say is prohibitively expensive. Huffman also didn’t address the upcoming blackout from thousands of subreddits protesting the API changes. More than 3,000 subreddits have pledged to “go dark” for two days beginning June 12th to protest the changes.

TechCrunch reported that CEO Steve Huffman, aka u/spez on the internet forum site, doubled down on accusations against the developer behind the well-liked third-party app Apollo, which the company had previously accused of operating inefficiently and not being a good “API” user.

According to TechCrunch, Huffman’s AMA confirmed the company has no plans to revise its upcoming API changes. What’s more, Huffman continued his accusations against Apollo, calling out the developer, Christian Selig’s “behavior and communications” as being “all over the place” and saying he couldn’t see Reddit working with the developer further.

Selig had been among the first to highlight Reddit’s new API pricing would effectively make it impossible to continue to operate the Apollo app. He explained that, under the new terms, it would cost him $20 million per year to do so – money the app doesn’t make. This week, Selig announced the app’s last day would be June 30, ahead of the July 1 implementation of the new API pricing.

ArsTechnica reported that Selig wrote, “June 30th will be Apollo’s last day. I’ve talked to a lot of people and come to terms over the last weeks as talks with Reddit have deteriorated to an ugly point.” Selig says that while charging some amount of money for Reddit’s API would be “understandable,” the developer says Reddit’s costs and timelines are just too much to overcome and that “it’s much cheaper for me to simply shut it down.”

This situation reminds me of Twitter, when Elon Musk decided to charge apps thousands of dollars for access to enough data to keep creator’s apps running. According to TIME, it has been speculated that the price was “part of the efforts to stop the company from hemorrhaging money.”

It seems Reddit’s CEO has decided to follow in Elon Musk’s footsteps by including new pricing tiers for third-party app makers, with prices that are likely impossible for the app makers to come up with each month. There is what appears to be a large group of Reddit users who are very much against these types of shenanigans, and I expect many will leave Reddit.

WhatsApp Users Must Comply with Update or Lose App’s Functionality

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WhatsApp issued a privacy policy that will go into effect on May 15, 2021. Those who have not agreed to the policy will slowly have portions of the functionality of WhatsApp become inaccessible.

To me, it sounds like WhatsApp (and its parent company, Facebook) are using this tactic to pressure users into accepting the privacy policy.This could backfire if people choose leave WhatsApp in favor of similar apps like Signal and Telegram.

For the last several weeks we’ve displayed a notification in WhatsApp providing more information about the update. After giving everyone time to review, we’re continuing to remind those who haven’t had the chance to do so to review and accept. After a period of several weeks, the reminder people receive will eventually become persistent.

A post on the WhatsApp website explains what will happen to users who don’t accept the privacy policy on May 15, 2021:

No one will have their account deleted or lose functionality of WhatsApp on May 15th because of this update.

After receiving a persistent reminder, users will encounter limited functionality on WhatsApp until you accept the updates. It appears this will not happen to all users at the same time,

Here is what non-complying users will experience:

  • You won’t be able to access your chat list, but you can still answer incoming phone and video calls. If you have notifications enabled, you can tap on them to read or respond to a message or call back a missed phone or video call.
  • After a few weeks of limited functionality, you won’t be able to receive incoming calls or notifications and WhatsApp will stop sending messages and calls to your phone.

In short, if you want to continue using WhatsApp – and have access to all of its functionality – you have no choice other than to accept the privacy policy. This is not a good look for WhatsApp (or Facebook). I understand that WhatsApp and Facebook have a right to create privacy policies. I think they should have handled this situation in a kinder, more ethical, way.

Amphetamine App was Almost Removed from Mac App Store

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A free app called Amphetamine, which helps keep your Mac awake, was almost removed from the Mac App Store. The reasons why are dubious because the app has been on the Mac App Store since 2014, and has absolutely nothing to do with drugs. In my opinion, Apple didn’t look very carefully at the Amphetamine app before removing it.

William Gustafson, the creator of the Amphetamine app, posted on GitHub some details about what happened. He was contacted by a representative from Apple who told him that the Amphetamine app would be removed from the Mac App Store on January 12, 2021, if changes to the app were not made.

According to William Gustafson, Apple stated that the Amphetamine app violated the following guideline: “Apps that encourage consumption of tobacco and vape products, illegal drugs, or excessive amounts of alcohol are not permitted on the App Store. Apps that encourage minors to consume any of these substances will be rejected. Facilitating the sale of marijuana, tobacco, or controlled substances (except by licensed pharmacies) isn’t allowed.”

Apple further specified: “Your app appears to promote inappropriate use of controlled substances. Specifically, your app name and icon include references to controlled substances, pills.”

In the GitHub post, William Gustafson wrote: “’Amphetamine’ is the brand name and identity of one of the apps that I have developed. Amphetamine is widely considered the go-to app for keeping your Mac awake. This is evidenced by its consistent ranking in the Mac App Store, as well as its inclusion in various major-player tech sites “best of…” Mac apps list…”

Apple eventually responded to William Gustafson’s appeal, and an Apple representative stated that Apple now recognizes that the word “amphetamine” and the pill icon are being used “metaphorically” and in a “medical sense”. As such, the app will remain in the Mac App Store.

To me, it sounds like someone who works for the Mac App Store made a big mistake. It is very clear that the Amphetamine app has absolutely nothing to do with drugs. I cannot help but wonder if the person who flagged the app because it appeared to be focusing on drugs feels a bit silly now for failing to take a close look at the Amphetamine app.

Trump “Approved the Deal in Concept” Between TikTok and Oracle

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One day after the U.S. Department of Treasury stated that WeChat and TikTok would be prohibited in the United States, President Donald Trump has “approved the deal in concept”. The more I read about This situation, the murkier it gets.

The U.S. Department of Treasury posted a new statement:

The President has reviewed a deal among Oracle, Walmart, and TikTok Global to address the national security threat posed by TikTok’s operations. Oracle will be responsible for key technology and security responsibilities to protect all U.S. user data. Approval of the transaction is subject to a closing with Oracle and Walmart and necessary documentation and conditions to be approved by CFIUS.

Bloomberg has reported the following: “I approved the deal in concept,” Trump told reporters Saturday as he left the White House for a campaign rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina. “If they get it done, that’s great. If they don’t, that’s OK too.” I have no idea what President Trump means by that.

According to Bloomberg, the new company will be called TikTok Global. It has agreed to funnel $5 billion new tax dollars to the U.S. and set up an education fund, which Trump said would satisfy his demand that the U.S. government receive a payment from the deal.

However, Reuters has reported that ByteDance was not aware that this deal involved a $5 billion education fund. On a social media post, ByteDance said it was the first time it had heard that news.

It gets even stranger. The Wall Street Journal reported that ByteDance would retain roughly 80% ownership of TikTok Global “according to people familiar with the situation”. Because ByteDance is about 40% owned by U.S. investors, the new company can be described has having majority American ownership. To me, it sounds like TikTok Global might remain connected to ByteDance despite this deal.

Bloomberg also reported that TikTok promised to hire an additional 15,000 jobs, more than the 10,000 positions the company already pledged to fill earlier this year. It appears that TikTok Global will be an independent company. And that TikTok Global “will likely” be headquartered in Texas.

TikTok stated that the proposal between TikTok, Oracle, and Walmart “will resolve the security concerns of the US Administration and settle questions around TikTok’s future in the US”.

How is Walmart connected to this deal? CNBC reported that Walmart said it has tentatively agreed to purchase a 7.5% stake, and CEO Doug McMillon would serve as one fo the five board members of the newly created TikTok Global company.

In a press release, Oracle announced that it was chosen to become TikTok’s secure cloud technology provider. Oracle said this decision by TikTok was heavily influenced by Zoom’s recent success in moving a large portion of its video conferencing capacity to the Oracle Public Cloud.

Oracle Confirms Deal with ByteDance

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Yesterday, Microsoft announced that its bid to buy TikTok from ByteDance had been rejected. It had been reported that ByteDance selected Oracle to be its technology partner for U.S. operations, but it was hard to confirm. Today, Oracle provided a statement:

Oracle confirms Secretary Mnuchin’s statement that it is part of the proposal submitted by ByteDance to the Treasury Department over the weekend in which Oracle will serve as the trusted technology provider. Oracle has a 40-year track record providing secure, highly performant, technology solutions.

CNBC reported that this deal still needs U.S. government approval.

The executive order that President Trump signed on August 14, 2020, required ByteDance to divest itself from Musical.ly (now known as TikTok). It must do so within 90 days of the signing of the executive order. Any data obtained or derived from the TikTok application or Musicial.ly application derived from users in the United States must be destroyed.

Later, CNBC reported that, according to people familiar with the matter, the proposal between ByteDance and Oracle would keep TikTok together under ByteDance’s operational control. Oracle will be a trusted technology partner who will store and secure the data within U.S. premises. TikTok said it is planning to disclose its algorithm to third parties.

ByteDance has submitted a proposal that avoids selling the U.S. assets or all of TikTok, CNBC reported. This doesn’t match the requirements in the executive order. That could mean that TikTok will soon have to close down within the United States. The longer this goes on, the messier it gets.

Trump Orders ByteDance to Divest From TikTok Within 90 Days

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President Trump has issued an executive order requiring ByteDance to divest from its U.S. TikTok business within 90 days, CNBC reported. Part of the executive order requires ByteDance to prove that it has destroyed all data that was obtained or derived from the TikTok application in the United States.

…The transaction resulting in the acquisition by ByteDance of Musical.ly, to the extent that Musical.ly or any of its assets is used in furtherance or support of, or relating to, Musical.ly’s activities in interstate commerce in the United States … is hereby prohibited, and ownership of ByteDance of any interest in Musical.ly in the United States, whether effected directly or indirectly through ByteDance’s subsidaries, affiliates, or Chinese shareholders is also prohibited…

The wording in the executive order might be a little confusing to those who are unaware of how ByteDance, TikTok, and Musical.ly connect. ByteDance bought Musical.ly in 2019.

The FTC learned that Musical.ly (which quickly became TikTok) illegally collected personal information from children. User accounts on Musical.ly were public by default, and it appears there were some problems with adults trying to contact children on the Musical.ly app. According to the FTC, operators of the Musical.ly app were aware that a significance percentage of users were under the age of 13.

TikTok agreed to pay $5.7 million to settle the allegations made by the FTC.

The executive order requires ByteDance to sell or spin off its U.S. TikTok business within 90 days. It might be possible. Microsoft has been in discussions with ByteDance about a potential acquisition of TikTok. A previous executive order required ByteDance to reach a deal within 45 days. If that did not happen, then the order would force U.S. based app stores to stop distributing the TikTok app. The new executive order extends that timeline to 90 days.

I cannot help but wonder what happens if Microsoft acquires TikTok. Do the problems with it (and Musical.ly before it) become Microsoft’s problems to resolve? Will Microsoft be expected to provide proof that the data ByteDance gleaned from U.S. users has been destroyed? Or will ByteDance have to provide that proof itself?

TikTok is Offering Refunds for Ad Campaigns

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What happens when a company is the subject of a presidential executive order? For TikTok, it apparently means it is time to start preparing advertisers for a possible ban of its app in the United States, and to offer refunds for ad campaigns that TikTok is unable to run, according to Reuters.

The executive order, signed by President Trump, would ban U.S. transactions with TikTok and WeChat, the Chinese-owned messaging app, starting on September 15, 2020.

Earlier this month, Microsoft stated in a blog post that the company is committed to acquiring TikTok “subject to a complete security review and providing proper economic benefits to the United States, including the United States Treasury.” From there, Microsoft will pursue discussions with TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance. The discussions are to be completed no later than September 20, 2020.

Among other measures, Microsoft would ensure that all private data of TikTok’s American users is transferred to and remains in the United States. To the extent that any such data is currently stored or backed-up outside the United States, Microsoft would ensure that this data is deleted from servers outside the the country after it is transferred.

The Verge reported that the executive branch has the power to levy sanctions against individuals and corporations, like it did with Huawei. The difference between that, and the executive order regarding TikTok, is that these sanctions are supposed to be put in place by the Commerce Department – not the White House.

As such, the situation could lead to legal challenges. TikTok posted a blog in which the company stated, “We will pursue all remedies available to us in order to ensure that the rule of law is not discarded and that our company and our users are treated fairly – if not by the Administration, then by the US courts.”

This is going to get messy very quickly, especially if Microsoft acquires TikTok from ByteDance before the September 15, 2020, deadline set in the executive order. It could lead to a legal battle between Microsoft and the White House. Personally, I am suspicious that the date on the executive order was intended to persuade Microsoft to cancel discussions with TikTok.