Apple blocked Beeper Mini’s iMessage Android app, but Beeper will keep pushing::Co-founder denies Apple’s claims of security and privacy concerns for its users.
Apple blocked Beeper Mini’s iMessage Android app, but Beeper will keep pushing::Co-founder denies Apple’s claims of security and privacy concerns for its users.
Incoming lawsuit in 3… 2…
It’ll be a fun watch if they do.
Pretty sure Apple doesn’t want their dirty laundry on the front page every day.
Like how iMessage isn’t nearly as secure as they claim. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38537444
And they haven’t done anything about these issues in 4 years.
Or that contrary to their claim that this is protecting their users, forcing them to downgrade to SMS for any conversation off of iOS/OSX means all those messages are sent in the clear, for anyone to read.
Beeper has also exposed any claim they want to make that iMessage can’t be integrated with other platforms.
It’s interesting to watch, for sure.
Yeah if it happens it will be a last ditch move which is why they started with just changing the protocol. I expect though that they’ll try the usual corporate lawsuit shenanigans where they start by threatening legal action hoping the threat alone is enough. Then if that doesn’t work they’ll file a lawsuit but drag the process out using as many tricks as they can come up with to ensure it never goes to trial in the hopes of either bankrupting them or forcing a settlement. If they can convince a judge to issue a temporary order to cease operation that would probably be a home run from their perspective.
Where the really interesting part starts is if they run out of tricks and it looks like the case will actually go to trial. I expect at that point they would try to drop the lawsuit, but Beeper might not allow them to. That would be really bad for Apple for all the reasons to outlined even if they ultimately win the case.
Lawsuit from who?
Apple preventing a third party from granting unauthorized access to their servers?
Or Beeper for attempting something that is protected by the DMCA?
Reverse engineering for the purpose of interoperability is legal under DMCA.
TIL, that is very neat
Which is exactly what they’ve done.
That particular defense has historically been a little shaky. That said since it’s a corporation that would be using it in this case instead of some random hacker (in the MIT sense) or Chinese company it would have a better chance of holding up in court.
I’m betting though that Apple won’t even bother with trying a DMCA based suit, but rather will argue some kind of TOS violations.