While alternative app stores operate independently and are required by EU law, Apple is still in a position to exert some control. This became apparent a few weeks ago, when iTorrent users suddenly ran into trouble when installing the app.
Thought this was an interesting story, since it’s pretty analagous to the recent Android situation, with third party app stores being enabled to some extent, but the company retaining ultimate censorship power.
I would be ok with the anticompetitiveness if I could just install my own ram in my own computer, or replace a hard drive, or fiddle with and not break iPhone cable that are thickness of tissue paper, and equally as durable. Also, I wouldn’t be ok with the anticompetitiveness. Also the enshittification of their software drives me up the wall regularly. I made a Lemmy community just to have a platform to bitch about it. But to me, even with all that (and more) they are still the least terrible option. We very much need to make stock buybacks illegal again.