I wrote to US Justice Department back in ~2013 to complain that I could not find the protocol documents to connect to my iPhone over USB. Specifically I was not willing to accept iTunes terms of service and wanted a workaround. Microsoft was required by consent decree to document all wire protocols, so I wanted to begin the process for Apple to so the same.
I got a personalized response from the Justice Department. The response said since the iPhone had closed protocols from the beginning, before it was dominant, there is nothing they could do to force opening up. While I didn’t like the outcome, I did understand it, and I was pleasantly surprised to get an actual response.
I suspect there is a similar argument for the App Store model. Apple never allowed side-loading apps. We may need new legislation to change this if we want.
I got a personalized response from the Justice Department. The response said since the iPhone had closed protocols from the beginning, before it was dominant, there is nothing they could do to force opening up. While I didn’t like the outcome, I did understand it, and I was pleasantly surprised to get an actual response.
I suspect there is a similar argument for the App Store model. Apple never allowed side-loading apps. We may need new legislation to change this if we want.