Tim Cook: Users Who Want to Sideload Apps Can Use Android, While the iPhone Experience Maximizes 'Security and Privacy'

[MacRumors]

Amid a heightened amount of scrutiny and tension surrounding the App Store and how users download and install apps on the iPhone, Apple CEO Tim Cook said today that customers who wish to sideload apps should consider purchasing an Android device as the experience offered by the iPhone maximizes their security and privacy.

Speaking at The New York Times "DealBook" summit, Cook said that customers currently already have a choice between wanting a secure and protected platform or an ecosystem that allows for sideloading. "I think that people have that choice today, Andrew. If you want to sideload, you can buy an Android phone." Cook drew the comparison of sideloading to a carmaker selling a car without airbags or seatbelt, saying it would be "too risky."

I think that people have that choice today, Andrew, if you want to sideload, you can buy an Android phone. That choice exists when you go into the carrier shop. If that is important to you, then you should buy an Android phone. From our point of view, it would be like if I were an automobile manufacturer telling [a customer] not to put airbags and seat belts in the car. He would never think about doing this in today's time. It's just too risky to do that. And so it would not be an iPhone if it didn't maximize security and privacy.

Sideloading, which would allow users to download and install apps directly onto their iPhone from the open internet, has become a hot topic in recent months, with Cook now weighing in. Earlier this week, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering, Craig Federighi, said that sideloading is a "cybercriminal's best friend," highlighting the dangers that may be presented to customers if offered the freedom to install apps from anywhere on the web.

In a paper published in October, Apple shared some facts about the security and privacy of the iPhone compared to the Android ecosystem. In the paper, Apple said that studies have shown that Android smartphones have been attacked by mobile malware between 15 and 47 times more than malware targeting the iPhone. "This is closely linked to sideloading," the paper added.

Speaking generally on privacy, Cook was questioned on recent reporting revealing that Facebook, Google, Snapchat, and others have lost almost $10 billion in revenue this year due to Apple's App Tracking Transparency prompt, which requires developers to ask for a user's consent before tracking them. Declining to comment on the specific numbers, Cook did repeat that Apple believes privacy is a fundamental human right.

I don't know about the estimates, Andrew, so I can't testify to those kind of numbers, but I think that from our point of view, privacy is a basic human right. And the people that ought to be deciding whether to data share is the person themselves. And so what we have been all about is putting the power with the user. We are not making the decision, we are just simply prompting them to be asked if they want to be tracked across apps or not. And of course, many of them are deciding no and never wanted to be, it's just that they did not have a choice before. And so I feel really good and I'm getting great feedback from users about having the choice.

Apple is in multiple investigations and battles around the world regarding the App Store, with the one most likely to produce drastic change being South Korea. Last month, the country passed new rules prohibiting platform owners from limiting developers to using only a single payment method for in-app purchases.

The App Store's in-app purchase method, which developers are required to use for digital purchases made within apps, gives Apple a 15-30% commission on all purchases made. Cook noted today that Apple has only ever lowered the commission, never increasing it. Nonetheless, the new law in South Korea would represent a significant turning point for the App Store if fully enacted. The App Store operates under a single global set of rules, and any change in one jurisdiction is applied globally for all developers.

Article Link: Tim Cook: Users Who Want to Sideload Apps Can Use Android, While the iPhone Experience Maximizes 'Security and Privacy'

 

[macsplusmacs]

100% agree with him.

100%

 

[keco185]

What about Windows phone? Classic Apple ignoring the competition

 

[RyanNSkolnick]

Objectively true. Some people view their phones like toys, some do real serious work on them and can't afford security risks. I don't care about the ability to side load, I care about the device that has so much of my highly sensitive info on it being as secure as possible. Forcing Apple to allow side loading removes that choice from the market.

 

[RouterCFW]

Do Apple not realise that appdb and other piracy sideload stores exist on non jailbroken ios

 

[randfee2]

I don't see the validity of this statement, I think it's a cop-out trying to hide the real reason.
Abusing people's desire for security as a false pretend to maximize Apple's profit!

Users who are not sideloading apps on iOS would be just as safe as they are now, how is their safety affected when other users sideload? Exploits of iOS are constantly found anyways, jailbreaks keep happening. Whoever wants to attack non-jailbreakers/sideloaders won't gain much here, at least not in comparison to the gains of the iOS users who want to sideload! If the OS is truly sandboxed well, where is the harm?
These devices (iPhones) are not a connected server cluster, they're individual devices!!!

Quick question: Why would it be unsafe on phones when it's normal for computers?
Take a guess iOS basically is a variant of MacOS, they claimed so at least (LOL). Does that mean that they do sub-par security for iOS, maybe get some devs from the MacOS team over to help? LMAO
I can imagine the entire Apple board of directory having dreamt of forbidding software installs on Mac computers just as much as they did on iOS for years now.
In the end, it's just common law. Everybody is used on it on iOS, so most people believe this makes sense and must remain like it is.... think again!

with Phil Schiller's words: "COURAGE!!!"..... c'mon Apple + Apple-Users, how about some courage!

I predict, Apple will lose this argument in court and will have to change their stance on this within the next few years.

____
edit
interesting to see, majority opts for the "courage" option of allowing what has been normal on any computer ever since they were invented.... so Apple, do the same for these pocket computers please!

 

[thevelvetdevil]

"If you don't want an iPhone 4, don't buy one. If you bought one and you don't like it, bring it back 🎶"

 

[Aoligei]

Side-loading already exists within iOS. Either by jailbreak, AltStore or Aisi-Helper, you can pretty much side-load apps if you wishes to. Apple just trying to delay something will happen, regardless if they want or not.

App Store is all about Apple control that sweet sweet profits and not about security

 

[ouimetnick]

Automakers did fight against including seatbelts and airbags. Drivers could become entangled in a seatbelt trapped inside of a burning vehicle…

The real reason automakers resisted is because it would increase vehicle production costs.

Similarly with Apple, allowing side loading would put a massive dent in their services revenue. Cook is correct about privacy and security, but there’s more to the story that he’s not going to admit to.

 

[So@So@So]

Apple should allow sideloading (apps signed with a valid developer certificate or code build by the user himself).
This code will always be running in an iOS sandbox.
At the same time Apple needs to make iOS more secure, so that something like Pegasus cannot happen in the future.
Users who only trust the App Store just should not use sideloading...

 

[ponzicoinbro]

Dear Tim,

Everything you say is true.

Then why did you buy crypto and help fund the people who want to destroy our privacy and collect all our data on “blockchains” and constantly corrupt and manipulate society with their platforms?

 

[Jakewilk]

While I can safely say I’ve never wanted to side load apps, I also admit that I have no clue what savings and opportunities have been lost to me because the option wasn’t available.

That being said, I know that those benefits would come at the cost of greater uncertainty of which apps I can trust. If apps associated with schools, jobs, amusement parks, etc were able to bypass security measures enforced by the app store, I know they would take advantage of that for their own personal gain with nearly no gain for me as a user.

 

[RyanNSkolnick]

I don't understand this statement. Users who wouldn't sideload apps on iOS would be just as safe as they are now, how is their security affected by other users sideloading?
IMHO this is a non-argument!

Say side loading becomes a thing. Maybe Microsoft decides to pull their apps from from the store and only distribute them via side loaded App Store.

Someone who needs the Office apps then goes looking for that store online and finds an infected/tampered with copy of the store. They then proceed to install malware.

Your scenario is an oversimplification of a post-side loading world in iOS

 

[thevelvetdevil]

I don't understand this statement. Users who wouldn't sideload apps on iOS would be just as safe as they are now, how is their security affected by other users sideloading?
IMHO this is a non-argument!

Profits aside, I would imagine that they're concerned about a sideloaded app finding exploits in an ubiquitous service like iMessage or FaceTime, that could potentially affect non-sideloaded iPhones.

 

[NT1440]

Do Apple not realise that appdb and other piracy sideload stores exist on iOS

Non jail broken?

 

[Denzo]

Can you imagine having a product, that your company sells, and a whole bunch of people are telling you what you allowed and not allowed to put on it?
Am I allowed to tell LG to use android instead Web OS? Can I ask Samsung to not allow sideloading? Can I ask Toyota to install CarPlay access? WTF is going on here

 

[doboy]

Do Apple not realise that appdb and other piracy sideload stores exist on iOS

I’m sure they’re aware but it’s not sanctioned by Apple so they have no liability if something goes wrong.

 

[dguisinger]

"Give us more money"... Oh, I can't say that? .... "Its security"

 

[thadoggfather]

Pegasusgate radio silent response and 'delayed' iOS baked in spyware have entered the chat.

 

[RouterCFW]

Non jail broken?

Yeah they have been around for ages

 

[Kazgarth]

The moment the gates open, you will see all the social network apps migrating to another store, demand ridiculous permissions in order to work, and you will have no option but to accept it.

 

[jz0309]

100% agree, hope it will stay like this forever. If you want to side load, you have options.

 

[ouimetnick]

Say side loading becomes a thing. Maybe Microsoft decides to pull their apps from from the store and only distribute them via side loaded App Store.

Someone who needs the Office apps then goes looking for that store online and finds an infected/tampered with copy of the store. They then proceed to install malware.

Your scenario is an oversimplification of a post-side loading world in iOS

Said “malware” would have to have a signed security certificate to run provided Apple allows apps to be sideloaded similarly to the default settings on macOS (App Store & Trusted Developers).

If the user downloads Office from Microsoft’s website, it won’t be an issue.

 

[I7guy]

Dear Tim,

Everything you say is true.

Then why did you buy crypto and help fund the people who want to destroy our privacy and collect all our data on “blockchains” and constantly corrupt and manipulate society with their platforms?

Hi this is Tim,

As a private citizen I do not believe there is any laws stopping me from investing in cryptocurrency. As far as apple goes, that’s a different story.

Warmest regards, Tim

 

[ouimetnick]

The moment the gates open, you will see all the social network apps migrating to another store, demand ridiculous permissions in order to work, and you will have no option but to accept it.

Or you can use Safari for Facebook, Instagram and twitter…