FTX also raise lots of money. so did Terra/Luna. large valuation does not mean you cannot end up in life inprisonment for fraud.

> Why is hitting network requests directly different?

again. business publishes their official API. prohibit automatic and tool use in their ToC.

you go pass that and access what they do not release publicly.

this is borderline Copyright infringement, Trade Secrets theft, and violation of ToS.

> others do it

no they don't. "assisting screen reader" in ios. does not intercept MITM network traffic, attempts de-obfsucate, decrypt, bypass TLS and CAs with fake CA roots with intent to "udnerstand inner workings".

this is very far from the "assisting user". you do not need that level of breaking into internals.

and besides. if app really wants to assit user there are legitimate ways to do so, like accessibility labels in ios, exposed by app itself to OS. crucial point here - app already exposes it itself.

I mean, if you get legal permission from business owner to run this tool and expose their API. sure, run whatever you want (as long as your ad-hoc contract allows). and if you cannot get this contract, you are clearly breaching use and going directly agains what business intended.

you are not assisting any user here. you are trying to directly steal trade secrets to replicate their business.

as in ios or android. this is in their name.

"interoperability" is never the case in the agreements.

it is very stupid decision from business perspective. and unless legally required (like in agriculture or something, "right to repair"), no sane business will provide this to their customers.

how am I being far more un-ethical again?

did I develop an AI tool to massively assit people breaking ToS and Copyright? (which is legaly punishable)

what kind of moral gray areas you are walking in? how is this not clear?

theft and crime was for thousands of years. and the fact that there were horrific multi-million legal cases. this is why we have curts and legal system and ToS and Copyright laws. so people who break the law (or contracts like ToS protected by law) get reprecautions. FAFO.

and if API is not published, and you MITM with self-compromised CAs, and then use it (commercially?) you ~100% breaking ToS.

this is just un-ethical. or YC does not have regard anymore for such things?

(every app that is not hidden their networking)

side note, YC25/YC26 batches have multiple startups that blantly violate ToS and sitting on a timebomb just pending a lawsuite and Cease and Desist Letters.

am I the only one put off with such language? they talk as if they invented compilers or assembly or Newton's law of gravity.