[tor-dev] Apple App Store Redux

Griffin Boyce griffin at cryptolab.net
Mon Nov 11 01:30:23 UTC 2013


  It's been a while since there's been a discussion on-list about
getting the TBB into Apple's app store [1].  Interest hasn't really gone
away in the intervening 13 months, so I just want to open up discussion
about it.

Here are the issues as I see them:
  - Apple has traditionally been at odds with GPL-licensed stuff [3],
though of late it seems to have relaxed a bit with dual-licensed
material [2].
  - If the TBB is added to the app store by Tor, it requires review of
and agreement to Apple's terms and also agreeing not to reveal DRM
sekrits [4].
  - It requires time and energy to keep the app store listing maintained.

Here are some possible solutions:
  - Submit Apple agreements to Wendy for review and
rejection/acceptance. The last mention of this was a year ago on #6540.
Status?
  - A volunteer who doesn't work for Tor maintaining the app store
version of TBB. This would also free Tor as an organization from having
to sign agreements. (Though this may contravene Apple's terms).
  - Actively decide to continue without being blessed by Apple, but
focusing instead on educating Mac users about their application security
options.

Thoughts?

~Griffin


[1] https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/6540
[2] https://www.opensource.apple.com/license/gpl-with-exception/
[3] http://meta.ath0.com/2012/02/05/apples-great-gpl-purge/
[4]
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/05/apples-crystal-prison-and-future-open-platforms#gatekeeper-update

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