iOS 17.5 Lets EU iPhone Users Download Apps From Websites

[DelayedGratificationGene]

You’d have to be INSANE to take a chance and download anything outside Apple Walled Garden. The Bad Guys are just outside the Wall and salivating!

 

[3530025]

Ehh... yes? Open source at least allows others to look things over, but that doesn't mean that someone did and raised enough alarms to publicize it unsafe. Especially for small, new projects. When was the last time you looked into an open source project to actually see if someone raised an issue with it? Or even review the code yourself. Being "Open Source" could create a false sense of safety.

Well then it's up to you. If you decide to install small one man show project, that's on you.

But in case of bigger open source projects its much safer than closed source proprietary binary from Meta on the Apple's App Store.

 

[Harthag]

Good. Tired of catering to the lowest common denominator. If you're too dumb to understand what you download you deserve to be hacked. Hopefully this will be implemented in the US sometime soon.

I've been sideloading apps for years on Android and pay the yearly dev fee to sideload apps on iPhone. My phones haven't burst into flames and I've yet to get any virus or malware.

 

[Col795]

I think its increasingly difficult to know who to trust.

Best thing to do is ONLY visit websites and App stores you know and trust. Anything new, proceed with extreme caution.

Been doing that since Windows 98

 

[Graphikos]

Well then it's up to you. If you decide to install small one man show project, that's on you.

But in case of bigger open source projects its much safer than closed source proprietary binary from Meta on the Apple's App Store.

Agreed, large, popular open-source projects are indeed a solid solution to a good, safe product. But I'd argue "most", don't benefit from all the positives open-source can provide.

 

[klasma]

This has the potential to cause numerous security issues... I think on this one the EU should have tread much more careful. I think it was well intentioned, but has the potential to result in a hot security mess.

Maybe you missed that the apps are still subject to review and notarization by Apple. Developers still can’t offer apps for download without Apple signing off on each single app and each single update.

 

[contacos]

Now people in the EU can download apps with spyware and viruses in them, then get mad at Apple when their Apple ID stuff is stolen. Ill stick to the App Store myself.

at least read the article

 

[macconservative]

Do you prefer Apple’s paternalism instead then? The EU is trying to provide a choice: you can download from Apple’s App Store or from a developer’s website. That seems less paternalistic than Apple’s way. I will always choose to have a choice over being forced into a corporation’s way of doing things (and I’m no fan of the EU).

or maybe looking at like I want a closed system which is why I chose Apple. If I wanted an open system I would have chose an Android. Plenty of market for both platforms without government butting in.

 

[contacos]

I´m tired of the paternalism of the European Union, as if the user is stupid.

Signed: Citizen of the European Union

Don't you have this backwards? It's more like Apple thinks their users are "stupid" otherwise they would let them decide for themselves if they want to install apps from 3rd party sources or not. I don't even feel like downloading Apps from other sources (I hardly even use the AppStore) but if people want to try something else with the potential of installing shady stuff. Let them.

It's like little kids. They only touch the hot stove once. Lessons are learned best by trying

 

[Harthag]

or maybe looking at like I want a closed system which is why I chose Apple. If I wanted an open system I would have chose an Android. Plenty of market for both platforms without government butting in.

You can still have a closed system. That aspect isn't changing. Allowing alternative app stores and downloads from websites doesn't affect anything or anyone unless they choose to go those routes.

 

[3530025]

Agreed, large, popular open-source projects are indeed a solid solution to a good, safe product. But I'd argue "most", don't benefit from all the positives open-source can provide.

Well I would say everyone using it benefits from it. Open source project is the result of the whole community. Be it patches, reported issues, bugs and ideas or just finding back doors.

Nicely visible in the recent liblzma incident. You can nicely detect and understand the whole time line of such backdoor attempt https://www.bugcrowd.com/blog/suppl...zma-cve-2024-3094-and-what-we-currently-know/

Same can't be said about closed source software. It can contain many backdoors and you will never know. No one can check the source.

 

[klasma]

I´m tired of the paternalism of the European Union, as if the user is stupid.

Signed: Citizen of the European Union

I’m tired of the paternalism of Apple, as if the user is stupid.

Signed: User of Apple devices

 

[Graphikos]

Well I would say everyone using it benefits from it. Open source project is the result of the whole community. Be it patches, reported issues, bugs and ideas or just finding back doors.

Nicely visible in the recent liblzma incident. You can nicely detect and understand the whole time line of such backdoor attempt https://www.bugcrowd.com/blog/suppl...zma-cve-2024-3094-and-what-we-currently-know/

Same can't be said about closed source software. It can contain many backdoors and you will never know. No one can check the source.

I've very pro open-source. But being open-source doesn't automatically make it good and safe. That's all I'm trying to get across. I was just talking to a colleague about the xz situation this morning and it's a fine example indeed.

 

[sw1tcher]

By that night, however, I had this haunting feeling that this Chinese-made device and all the pre-installed apps may just have a security risk.

Being a mostly Apple user, I've never had to really worry about it.

Concerned about security risk of Android device because it's Chinese-made, but not concerned about security risk of Apple devices even though they're mostly Chinese-made. Yeah, that makes sense.

 

[Orange Bat]

or maybe looking at like I want a closed system which is why I chose Apple. If I wanted an open system I would have chose an Android. Plenty of market for both platforms without government butting in.

Then only download from the App Store at all times and never download an app from a developer website.

There! I solved your problem! You’re welcome.

 

[Fuzzball84]

Maybe you missed that the apps are still subject to review and notarization by Apple. Developers still can’t offer apps for download without Apple signing off on each single app and each single update.

Can the developer change the app after review and notarisation? Im not sure on the specifics... on the notarisation process... if it uses a checksum or related process so that the OS knows if the app its downloading, is indeed the same app that was checked by Apple at another time?

 

[rishey]

Am I paranoid to wonder if the EU isn't trying to create a back door with this stuff?

 

[Atog]

EU again gave us in EU option nobody asked for. EU is joke and we should reform it from the ground up. Yesterday was too late. This isn't the only **** the y come up with recently. 🤮

 

[3530025]

I've very pro open-source. But being open-source doesn't automatically make it good and safe. That's all I'm trying to get across. I was just talking to a colleague about the xz situation this morning and it's a fine example indeed.

Definitely. Open-source does not equal safe. But it's harder to hide your malicious intent when everything is wide open for anyone to check. Especially when multiple devs are maintaining the project.

 

[Atog]

Its impossible.

It is possible but younglings are brainwashed so it is very hard task to complete.

 

[citysnaps]

This has the potential to cause numerous security issues...

Yep... What's funny is that was predicted years ago and almost everyone here thought that was just scare tactics, and... presented a great opportunity to take a swing at Apple - cuz it's Apple/Tim Cook/buh-blah/buh-blah/buh-blah... And need to be knocked down.

And here we are today.

 

[sw1tcher]

Just goes to show that you have to be aware... even on Apple Store. It's the safest option by far... but quality, and security... well those things are not 100% guaranteed.

But far better than any old website or unofficial store...

Who will compensate you and fix things if it goes wrong :/

Certainly not Apple when it's their fault for approving and allowing scam apps onto their App Store

Bitcoin Scam App Approved by Apple Robs iPhone User of $600,000+

A scam bitcoin app that was designed to look like a genuine app was accepted by Apple's App Store review team and ended up costing iPhone user...

www.macrumors.com

 

[ajf.350d]

Why do the changes only apply to iPhone, and not iPad as well?

 

[AhRiHmAn]

Now people in the EU can download apps with spyware and viruses in them, then get mad at Apple when their Apple ID stuff is stolen. Ill stick to the App Store myself.

Well nobody said you HAD to download apps from websites….
I would be curious to know the % of people that will want to do it and even know this is an option

 

[DaPhox]

It is possible but younglings are brainwashed so it is very hard task to complete.

What do you mean? Almost NO parties are for an exit. Over here we dont have ANY? So how is this working out do you mean?