Sean Hollister

Like his Epic counterpart, Qian has three basic arguments that we’re now seeing on-screen:

He didn’t say if Google paid him to consult on this case though, yet.

In other words, Epic Games could make Fortnite a trusted, non-scare-screen app by getting it notarized, but other developers wouldn’t have to if they’re fine with more warnings.

Google asked if Apple would have a field day if it dropped its sideloading warnings — setting up a straw man, since Mickens doesn’t propose dropping them entirely.

I think I got one word wrong in this quote, but this is almost entirely what he said:

“I think if Google did not replace those sideloading warnings with something that protects users, then Apple would make some hay out of that.”

He’s Epic’s witness again, just to go over some fine points of what he told Google.

“You agree with the concept of asking users for consent before you allow one app to be an installer on the phone, right?” Yes.

In a March video deposition, Mickens suggested that the discriminatory nature of the scare screens (that is to say, they don’t pop up when you install via Google Play, only third-party stores and sideloaded apps) was his primary remaining concern with them.

Professor Mickens admits he doesn’t know if APKFab reviewed this app at all, and that the “com.tveemobilee.nitflix” file hosted there is likely not a legitimate app.

The point, I assume, is that decentralized notarization would lead to confusion about which websites have legitimate apps? We didn’t quite get to that.

Wonder if a jury will take that into account. Surely, Epic will ask the same question of Google’s expert now.

Speaking of Google’s expert, a Professor Qian — Google says Qian warned Epic’s expert that agencies like CISA recommend against one of his suggestions (I missed which, sorry), and he admits he didn’t incorporate those warnings into his report.

Correction: We’re now learning it’s Professor Qian, not Chen. Dr. Zhiyun Qian. I apologize for the error.

“You don’t say how much Google should charge for a centralized app review process, right?”

The phrases “Cost to Google: ???” and “Cost to developers: ???” appear on Google’s slide, which is clearly designed to suggest Mickens hasn’t thought his proposal through.