However, outrage is what it takes to get them to give ground. Take the ban on cross compilers and interpreters in apps for instance. It took substantial protest and outrage to get them to ease the restrictions.
http://allthingsd.com/20100614/apple-gives-ios-developers-a-...
Sure, I can switch to Android but A) I don't really want to do that and B) losing a handful of Bitcoin enthusiasts to another platform is really not going to dent Apple in any way.
Bitcoin people are not a random demographic, they are early adopters, many are entrepreneurs, most are young.
I doubt they could care less.
And then move to palm, windows, webos.. because moving to android will just make you do the same thing to google in a couple months.
Well, that, and a bunch of media, law enforcement, and legislative attention.
> Bitcoin’s use for international payments from family members sending money home to support entire communities in the developing world and for charity fundraising and fund distribution will be severely affected by this decision.
Can't they just use their web browser?
Normal currencies and online currencies suffer from these same 3 issues though.
The reason Apple has issues with other payment methods on their App Store is that they can't control them. Meaning, they can't ensure the user experiance they would like to, and when things go wrong, they can't fix it.
Apple's userbase is so large and diverse now that users blame things on Apple that shouldnt (e.g. they loose money through bitcoin they used with an iPhone app, Apple gets blamed ). This is their way of minimising that.
If you seriously think regulators care about money laundering, ask yourself why HSBC laundered hundreds of billions of drug cartel dollars, got a slap on the wrist and nobody went to jail.
Money laundering is the new "think of the children" or "terrorists!" bullshit.
This is capitalism. They provide services that they expect you to use, and if you want to do business on the platform they control, you play by their rules. If you don't like it, you're free to leave.
If you don't like that you probably aren't using apple products already.