[curtisnewton]

> without requiring Google's authorization for app publication.

funnily enough, I am installing google drive for computers right now (macOS), I had to download a .pkg and basically sideload the app, which is not published on the Apple Store

Why the double standard, dear Google?

[curt15]

>I had to download a .pkg and basically sideload the app, which is not published on the Apple Store

You mean install the app? The fact that Apple and Google wish to suggest that software from outside their gardens is somehow subnormal doesn't mean other people need to adopt their verbiage.

[curtisnewton]

> You mean install the app?

Correct, I mean install the app.

Sideloading is the corporate jargon for "installing an app".

[tom1337]

Probably because they require APIs which cannot be used when publishing to the AppStore. The whole Microsoft Office Suite is available in the macOS App Store - but Microsoft Teams must be downloaded from their website and cannot be installed via the AppStore...

[curtisnewton]

> Probably because they require APIs which cannot be used when publishing to the AppStore

That's the funny part.

They do stuff they want to prohibit to other developers because "safety".

But we all know that Google can do massively more harm than scammers pushing their scammy apps to a few hundreds people.

For example, in today's news "Google hit with EU antitrust investigation into its spam policy".

There's a bit of irony in it and a lot of hypocrisy, IMO.

[jhasse]

Bad example because that .pkg was probably signed with a developer certificate with approval from Apple - just as would be the case on Android in the future.