[thisislife2]

This argument is not new - "they don't know any better than us" is what was used to deny the poor, the minorities and woman their right to vote for a long time. And these rights were won after a hard struggle. Apple also shouldn't be allowed to take away our consumer right with similar fear mongering. A balance where the user is in control of the device they rightfully own versus protecting the technologically illiterate from their own ignorance is possible. Just because some alcoholics ruin their own lives or even others with their addiction isn't a good excuse to ban alcohol for everyone. Just because terrorists are able to exploit a weakness in internal security, and cause harm to the State doesn't mean that the State can demand that everyone should blindly give up all their rights to a nanny state for "security". It's all about finding the right balance.

Right now Apple devices don't offer that and violate our consumer rights by limiting and dictating what software we can run on it. It also uses this control to exploit us - by forcing us to install software only from the app store, we are unnecessarily forced to pay extra for every paid software because Apple expects a hefty app store commission on it.

[stephenr]

> Just because terrorists are able to exploit a weakness in internal security, and cause harm to the State doesn't mean that the State can demand that everyone should blindly give up all their rights to a nanny state for "security".

Tell me you haven't been through an airport post-2001 without telling me.