This sounds like any website suddenly becomes an app store as soon as it starts distributing software for a mobile device. So (ignoring my following point), if I suddenly post my new APK on my personal site suddenly it’s an app store!?
I think so. The intention is probably to have the law cover any method of getting your hands on an app, not just what we typically know as “app stores”. Otherwise, it would leave a loophole.
This sounds like it includes laptops but not desktop computers.
I thought that at first too, but I think the part at the end about “handheld electronic devices” is what limits it to not include laptops.
NGram@piefed.ca 2 days ago
They do use handheld and never define it, but I can hold my laptop with my hand so I’m not sure that’s necessarily a good way of disqualifying laptops. That also seems to strictly apply to the operating system ("runs an operating system designed […] for software applications on handheld electronic devices"), which might be a fun legal quagmire as well since Linux is designed for all sorts of platforms. If I install Linux on my (formerly) Windows laptop does it suddenly become a mobile device?
It does bring up another interesting niche of computers: handheld PCs, especially handheld gaming PCs. Does this law apply to Steam Decks?
This whole thing screams “written by tech illiterates” since it seems to ignore regular computers and only focus on phones when it’s all just variations of the same thing – form factor and the software running on top isn’t very relevant to whatever goal I presume they’re trying to achieve. If they really want to collect everyone’s ID, age, and other privacy-violating information they’d be better off doing it everywhere. But maybe I shouldn’t give out advice for speed running fascism…
brbposting@sh.itjust.works 2 days ago
I demand this guy’s ID (& SSN just in case to protect the children against terrorism)
Stock photo of a man carrying a desktop computer