You don't have to use Google's store, but they've done a lot of anticompetitive shenanigans to snuff out competition and ensure they remain the dominant storefront.

After Google saw how much money Apple was making, they seemed to immediately regret having Android be an open platform. It was a convenience when they acquired the product early on because they could bring it to market quickly, but they've done everything in their power since then to close it up.

Not only do they force you to use the App Store, developing an app for iOS is a nightmare. Without special tools you must have a mac and a $100/yr apple developer license.

After having to deal with that shit at my old place of work I've moved to never touch app development again.

I don’t think this difference matters that much in Patreon’s case. Convincing users to sideload an app on Android is likely much harder than just getting them to visit the Patreon website on their phone and subscribe to users that way. Heck, they could probably make the mobile site virtually identical to the app anyway.

You also don’t have to use the Patreon iOS app. Most people just use the services and don’t search for alternatives. If you’re on Lemmy then you’re not in the “most people” category by default.

Oh I know, I just thought using landlords would be a more concise term since most people don't know the term techno-feudalism as widely.

I'll definitely try to incorporate it in my writing more though, it's a term that I think should be known much more widely.

What we can work on is awareness. If iOS users are aware, they can choose to simply go to the website directly and make the purchase, instead of using the app. They can still use the app for consumption.

Which is kinda ridiculous since Apple's practices are what Google does but worse.