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Apple's Craig Federighi Says Sideloading on iPhone Would Open the Floodgates to Malware
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You’re not wrong, but I think the main difference is that iOS is where the money is, so the stakes are much higher for these companies. I also don’t think people who want this are stupid or wrong at all, they just use their phone differently than I do.
I personally have no issue with others side loading, though I would not use it myself. Even as a dev I still am not willing to risk getting malware on my daily driver phone. I depend on it for essential everyday communication too much. My Mac, I can always restore from a backup if I do something sketchy and not be left high and dry.
The issue that I see with side loading will be if apps pull out of the App Store to be sideloaded only. We can say it won’t happen but Spotify, Epic, Facebook etc.. are all very greedy and not happy with being limited to Apple’s policies on security and privacy. Granted some of them definitely favor Apple, but most of them favor the user too.
If there was a provision that all apps had to remain in the App Store if they allowed sideloading then I’m all in. Let me lock my mother out of being tricked into downloading a fake Facebook app and we’re good. Let me know that when the next big app I want to try out hits, I won’t be told “It’s only available on this weird website or Epic Games Store. This will be used for social engineering no doubt, and for many people who use iOS (like parents and kids) the security of the App Store IS the primary feature of the iPhone and that outweighs our desire to tinker with OSS and Facebook’s desire to skirt privacy policies.
Whether it's 99% or 0.01%, I don't care. What you do with your phone has nothing to do with me, and vice versa. You can put it in a blender and hit puree for all I care.
So you're saying Apple can't protect their own System settings from an automation hack?
Even Android's "unknown sources" option cannot be set/enabled by an app or hack.
You have to physically open the privacy settings and designate what apps you want to have this capability. It's not a blanket system wide option anymore, and hasn't been for several years. And even when you do allow an app to install from unknown sources, the system still throws a pop-up telling you what is about to happen and giving you the ability to abort it.
I'll give that a try ... and I don't care what you do with your phone, but expecting to open the system for malware is certainly not what the vast majority of users want and/or need ...
If those apps pull out of the App Store and people go with them, well, that's just the market at work. That's competition. That's how the App Store would get better, because Apple would be forced to work to retain their customers rather than having us all as a captive audience with no other choices.
For instance, as much as I don't care for Epic and their leadership, I hope the Epic Games Store on Windows has great success, because it will keep Valve hard at work making sure Steam stays vibrant and competitive.
As it stands, Apple has no incentive to do anything on the App Store but what's good for Apple. If they had to face real competition, if they had to work for all that money they make, think how much better it would be for everyone.
Also they want their 15% to 30% cut, pure and simple. That's all it boils down to. Anything else is disingenuous since macOS allows sideloading and is very secure.
Except that those same people will absolutely complain to Apple once they get infected with malware about why did you allow me to do this, I demand compensation!
Most people think they know what they are doing with technology and most people know next to nothing so they need protecting from themselves.
you can solve your problem by just getting an Android ... you know what you get when you buy an iPhone ...
and thanks for acknowledging that side loading opens the door for malware
Actually Android is absolutely full of malware and so yes the floodgates were open a long time ago and no side loading is not a good idea, end of!
Because once you do that you allow developers to be able to not implement it and if Apple enforce the rule it allows the haters and politicians etc to demand that Apple make it an option in which case you end up with disaster!
No1 I wish people would learn the different between hardware and software before posting such nonsense!
It is why we have EULA for example!
And further add security measures such as Pop up requirement for every Photo, Phonebook, Bluetooth, Camera and mic access.
I mean there are lots of things that could be done. There is also a developer certificate similar to the current macOS. Not to mention the App Store model isn't even perfect as of now.
But continue to use the same scare tactics to protect their profits and revenue is simply disingenuous.
Great little summary from Federighi, including responses to some of the commoner counter-arguments (including some that were repeated already in the comments for this article; evidently they didn't watch? Here's the link in case anyone who didn't watch wants to).
Apple should make a similar rundown available to the public as an educational resource. Even if it persuades some to switch away from iOS, which it might do, it's an example of Apple being transparent and proud about their choice of approach to the security architecture of iOS, which does indeed differ from that of the Mac.
Apple should make a similar rundown available to the public as an educational resource. Even if it persuades some to switch away from iOS, which it might do, it's an example of Apple being transparent and proud about their choice of approach to the security architecture of iOS, which does indeed differ from that of the Mac.
As I posted to you earlier, around 2% of the top-grossing apps on the App Store are scams, form which Apple profits handsomely. So, the malware is already here.you can solve your problem by just getting an Android ... you know what you get when you buy an iPhone ...
and thanks for acknowledging that side loading opens the door for malware
Apple also recently patched several hair-on-fire, actively exploited security vulnerabilities in iOS that allowed an attacker to take over a device with no interaction -- all the user had to do was visit a website and they were compromised. There have been many, many such vulnerabilities over the years. So, the malware is already here.
Why people think iOS device security is so amazing as it stands is beyond me. It's anything but.
Maybe nonsense to you because you don’t understand. An opening is an opening, no matter how large. I don’t think most people were opposed to the idea of stopping the spread of child pornography — it was the idea that scanning would have created the potential for problems by needing an opening to accomplish it.
Side loading would require an opening in the OS, and this has the potential for creating problems.
If you oppose CSAM scanning, you should automatically oppose side loading of apps.
One is entitled to run a backup of what they own plus there are free homebrew games so that reasoning is a barefaced lie.
https://atariage.com/forums/forum/203-atari-homebrew-awards/
Going by your logic, if you surf illegal content with your browser then is it right for Apple to block browser for everyone else? It's not.
The second side loading is allowed Facebook and Google will be off the App Store and be telling people to side load their apps to continue using their services. With Apple no longer able to scrutinise their apps I can see both of those companies bypassing iOS security and API restrictions to spy on people. The Facebook app would probably have the camera, microphone and GPS running all day regardless of the battery drain.
Same reason it exists in iOS. Even the best due diligence can be thwarted in the app screening process.
Apple has had their fair share of bad apps that have slipped through the screening process of their walled garden.
Apple’s full potential will never be unlocked if you they keep their ecosystem shut. All this power only meant to browse the internet or read books.
Half of y’all are, “if you don’t want malware don’t side load.”
The response is, greedy developers will force you to side load.
Y’all’s new response, “side loading apps will be just as secure… you’ll be fine.”
Lol. You guys are a trip. ?
The response is, greedy developers will force you to side load.
Y’all’s new response, “side loading apps will be just as secure… you’ll be fine.”
Lol. You guys are a trip. ?
Weird because Android has this and is riddled with malware but keep believing whatever nonsense you are told.