I think that this kind of abuse is an irresistable temptation of a walled garden. If the garden's curators don't succumb to it themselves, the single-point-of-pressure is too much of a temptation to would-be government or external private sector censors.
When dealing with situations like this, we have a couple options. We can accept walled gardens and hope that the gardeners are made of stern stuff and love freedom.
Or we can reject walled gardens and demand ecosystems in which this kind of blocking can't happen, not just won't.
I prefer worlds where it can't. Trusting that it won't is setting up for disappointment IMO.
Exactly. Didn't some senator asked Apple to remove some app in the early days? When Apple acts like this with their store, it's almost irresistible for the Government to ask them to remove some other apps they don't like either.
When dealing with situations like this, we have a couple options. We can accept walled gardens and hope that the gardeners are made of stern stuff and love freedom.
Or we can reject walled gardens and demand ecosystems in which this kind of blocking can't happen, not just won't.
I prefer worlds where it can't. Trusting that it won't is setting up for disappointment IMO.