Apple has blocked a torrenting app that is on a rival to its own App Store, meaning that the company can still dictate what apps are being sold.

Despite all of the noise about rival app stores being better for consumers, they really just benefit some large developers who already have other distribution systems. It's possible to argue, though, that these stores could bring apps that Apple wouldn't allow on its own App Store.

Yet a key reason for Apple not wanting a given app on its store is that it's illegal, or it's malware, or in some way is dangerous to user privacy. Or is dangerous to Apple's reputation for security and privacy.

Now according to TorrentFreak, Apple has stepped in and blocked an app from a rival third-party store in the EU. Specifically, it appears that Apple has effectively broken a torrenting app to stop it being distributed.

Apple can physically do this because iOS developers have to have an "alternative distribution" set, and Apple can turn that off. With it switched off, the developer's app can't be downloaded.

Overall, this is actually a good thing. If Apple finds an app is putting iPhone users at risk, it being able to immediately stop it is definitely good. There is a risk, though, that Apple could do this even if an app is not technically doing anything wrong.

Apple disables iTorrent

That's the case with this torrenting app, iTorrent. Torrenting itself is not illegal — it's a method of sharing large files by distributing it across many hundreds of users and serves.

What is illegal is the material that tends to get shared over torrenting apps. It's a way to download movies, TV, music, software, and more, and that breaks more copyright laws, and deprives more creatives of an income, than even AI does.

It's not certain that Apple disabled iTorrent because of this. All that is really known is that it worked when first put on a third-party app store in the EU, and then it stopped.

The developer of iTorrent says he hasn't been told of a reason for the app being blocked, despite multiple requests for clarification from Apple.

"I still have no idea if it was my fault or Apple's, and their responses make no sense," said developer Daniil Vinogradov.

The point of a rival app store

Truly, the only point of a third-party rival to Apple's App Store is to get the largest developers more money. It's Epic Games claiming to be fighting for the little guy, then charging the little guy the same as Apple.

But as well as decrying an "Apple Tax" because they want the money themselves, the other argument is that third-party stores give users more choice.

It's a choice that means adding layers of complexity to what was once a simple process. You used to be able to see an app, download it immediately, and know it was (almost certainly) safe.

Now if you are in a region with third-party stores, simplicity is gone. There's choosing the store, there's what happens if you leave that region, there's dealing with firms that do not have Apple's reputation on the line.

So if this is going to be worth it, then unless apps really do become cheaper, the sole benefit to users is the ability to run apps that Apple just doesn't happen to like.

But if Apple really doesn't like an app, we've now learned that it can simply block it from running anyway.