U.S. Senate Panel Approves Antitrust Bill That Would Allow Sideloading

[nebojsak]

And even if you don't sideload and stick to only using Apple's app store, you're still exposed to security and privacy gaps and scam apps.

Report Reveals In-App Purchase Scams in the App Store

An investigation into App Store developer pay-outs has uncovered a scamming trend in which apps advertising fake services are making thousands of dollars a month from in-app purchases. In a Medium article titled How to Make $80,000 Per Month on the Apple App Store, Johnny Lin describes how he...

www.macrumors.com

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 Phillipe Christodoulou 17.1 bitcoin, or upwards of $600,000 at the time of the theft, reports The Washington Post. Christodoulou wanted to check on his...

www.macrumors.com

Facebook Removing Onavo VPN From App Store After Apple Says It Violates Data Collection Policies

Facebook today removed VPN app Onavo Protect from the iOS App Store after Apple decided that it violates App Store data collection policies, reports The Wall Street Journal. Apple earlier this month told Facebook officials that the Onavo app, which serves as a virtual private network, violates...

www.macrumors.com

Developer Highlights How Fake Apps Scam Users Via Apple's In-App Purchasing System

Apple hosts millions of apps on the App Store, calling the platform a "safe and trusted" place to discover apps. While mainly true, Apple has come under criticism for hosting many different scam apps on the platform, some even raking in millions in revenue. In February, developer Kosta...

www.macrumors.com

Study Finds Up to 2% of Top 1,000 Paid Apps on App Store Were Scams

Apple has used its app review process as a bulwark in recent legal assaults on its App Store policy, and put particular emphasis on the security benefits for iOS users when buying apps. However, an investigation has found that almost 2% of the top 1,000 highest grossing apps on a given day were...

forums.macrumors.com

App Store Scam App Required a Good Review to Function at All

An app that demanded at least a three-star review to function got through the App Store review process, it has been found (via The Verge). iOS developer Kosta Eleftheriou discovered that the "UPNP Xtreme" app, which claimed to let users stream video to a TV, presented the system's App Store...

www.macrumors.com

Developers Complain as App Store Feature Promotes Rip-Off Apps

Apple has featured a number of apps with disproportionately expensive subscriptions on the App Store, arousing the ire of some developers. The App Store feature on the Australian App Store, first highlighted by Beau Nouvelle on Twitter, is called "Slime relaxations" and reportedly features apps...

www.macrumors.com

I can literally spend all day posting all the stories about similar stuff.

As stated by the many in similar threads, if sideloading apps in a controlled environment poses such a threat, then iOS has much bigger security problems.

 

[Wildkraut]

Would love to have it on ios..

Would be the first thing that I would buy and sideload, just to block all that Apps from calling home and spying.
And >90% of them does that. But yeah Apple + Privacy, but no firewall, how secure.

 

[webkit]

I don't see much of a problem with this. This gives people the OPTION to get apps from places other than the App Store.

It will mean less profit for Apple from the App Store which means it will have to be made up elsewhere. Maybe Apple will just charge Google more for making Google search the default as Apple certainly doesn't seem to have a problem with potentially exposing its users' privacy/usage data, etc. to "evil" Google.

 

[gaximus]

In the grand scheme of things, this wont affect me much. If a developer want to use 3rd party appstore, I simply wont buy. It's really simple as 1+1 = 2.

People gullible enough to get scammed will get scammed regardless. Policy makers cant see a problem when it's in front of them. Sometimes you just gotta touch that red burning stove to understand.

And if you grandma side loads an app that puts Christmas lights around the screen, and is very festive, but now has all her contact information (including your information that she keeps on you because it's hard for her to remember birthdays and such), you then are a target for scams, even if you didn't install the app your self.

 

[boss.king]

And if you grandma side loads an app that puts Christmas lights around the screen, and is very festive, but now has all her contact information (including your information that she keeps on you because it's hard for her to remember birthdays and such), you then are a target for scams, even if you didn't install the app your self.

Apps that Apple distributes through the App Store already do this, so you'd be no less secure then than you are.

 

[Xtir]

As stated by the many on similar threads, if sideloading apps in a controlled environment poses such a threat, then iOS has much bigger security problems.

The real question is: how would you know? The answer: by opening up!

The only thing I'am afraid about, is that iOS itself would be a disappointing shamble when the curtains are down.

 

[BreakYurAnkles]

And if you grandma side loads an app that puts Christmas lights around the screen, and is very festive, but now has all her contact information (including your information that she keeps on you because it's hard for her to remember birthdays and such), you then are a target for scams, even if you didn't install the app your self.

But my device is safe from that old bag-o-bones correct?

or anything that is sent from Gam-gam (texts) that are opened on my device make me infected?

I don't want my iPhone to get HIV from Gam-Gam...

 

[Wildkraut]

And if you grandma side loads an app that puts Christmas lights around the screen, and is very festive, but now has all her contact information (including your information that she keeps on you because it's hard for her to remember birthdays and such), you then are a target for scams, even if you didn't install the app your self.

That's what i call imagination. Or is it sci-fi? @jz0309 🤣

 

[nebojsak]

And if you grandma side loads an app that puts Christmas lights around the screen, and is very festive, but now has all her contact information (including your information that she keeps on you because it's hard for her to remember birthdays and such), you then are a target for scams, even if you didn't install the app your self.

Simply put - Apple should make it slightly harder to obtain than Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. I wonder how many grandmas over there erase their iPhones regularly.

 

[Xtir]

Are you *sure* nobody would deep-embed some code in their app store app which, after some period of time, then side-loaded some other malicious app or code?

That never happened... 🤥

 

[BaldiMac]

You DON’T have to side load anything. If someone does it and it ruins their phones that’s on them.

If only we lived in a world where one person's decisions don't affect other people.

 

[boak]

I don't see much of a problem with this. This gives people the OPTION to get apps from places other than the App Store.

It will mean less profit for Apple from the App Store which means it will have to be made up elsewhere. Maybe Apple will just charge Google more for making Google search the default as Apple certainly doesn't seem to have a problem with potentially exposing its users' privacy/usage data, etc. to "evil" Google.

Will there really be options? Developers would probably just restrict app distributions to their own channel.

 

[sw1tcher]

I don't see much of a problem with this. This gives people the OPTION to get apps from places other than the App Store.

The problem is that "sideloading" reduces choice.

I'd say this again.

Forcing sideloading on iOS is removing choice. You are forcing Apple ecosystem to be the same as Android instead of being unique. That means less choice.

You see, right now we only have 1 choice, the Apple App Store.

If we allow "sideloading," we'll have the Apple App Store and App Store XYZ or an app developer's website... that's at least 2 choices.

2 is less than 1

Wait. What?

 

[nebojsak]

Will there really be options? Developers would probably just restrict app distributions to their own channel.

They wouldn't, just as they don't with GooglePlay.

 

[boss.king]

The problem is that "sideloading" reduces choice.


You see, right now we only have 1 choice, the Apple App Store.

If we allow "sideloading," we'll have the Apple App Store and App Store XYZ or an app developer's website... that's at least 2 choices.

2 is less than 1

Wait. What?

They think the moment sideloading is opened up that every big dev is going to pull their app from the App Store. Because they don't know that companies have already tried this on Android and lost marketshare (eg Epic pulling Fortnite from the Play Store, only to quickly put it back because no one was playing anymore).

 

[MrTangent]

So, hypothetically speaking.

My iPhone is Virgin Apple clean. ONLY iOS grade A+ primo Apple APP store approved and downloaded on my device.

Lets say someone within "my network" (basically contacts) side loads a malicious App/program.

The hackers then send me a text/phone call (NSO group Style) and that could would/could be enough for me to get infected? and all my data and device (microphone, camera etc.) would be in control of that hacker?

Or would I still need to answer that call, open that text (or accidentally touch the hyperlink) then I'd be screwed?

Zero-click 0-day exploits do exist, but generally are used only for high value intelligence/nationstate adversary level targets. Once they’re used, they’re generally found through forensics and subsequently made known and patched.

 

[deeddawg]

That never happened... 🤥

Not sure I'm understanding your comment/smiley.

Are you suggesting such a thing never could happen?

Or are you alluding to apps with hidden functionality having already succeeded in getting past the gatekeepers, such as HandyLight and Fortnight both did?

 

[BreakYurAnkles]

Not sure I'm understanding your comment/smiley.

Are you suggesting such a thing never could happen?

Or are you alluding to apps with hidden functionality having already succeeded in getting past the gatekeepers, such as HandyLight and Fortnight both did?

he's lying/being sarcastic. Its a Pinocchio emoji to let you know.

 

[zorinlynx]

You can't guarantee that though, if sideloading is allowed what if companies pull the app from the app store and only distribute it via sideloading? Then it does most definitely impact and *removes* that choice where I can get everything via the app store.

Also tangentially what if the app is still offered in both places but you get more features or earlier access to features if you sideload the app? Plenty of ways this can impact users who don't want sideloading.

Well, if companies start to pull their apps from the store after Apple enables sideloading, then Apple will just have to work to make their store more appealing to developers. Maybe take a smaller cut? Maybe have less draconian rules over content?

The Apple app store already has a leg up on the competition by being the default and a trusted source. They'll just have to be a bit better to keep developers on board when they're no longer the only option.

I see it being a good thing all around.

 

[sideshowuniqueuser]

Time for Apple to block all but their barebones base level APIs from apps that don't go through the App Store.

If developers don't want to pay Apple anything, they shouldn't reap the rewards from the billions Apple has spent on development of iOS and hardware over the years.

Yep, and that there, would be the end of the iPhone. Let me remind you of macOS. An Apple OS that allows sideloading, and all the API's are freely available. Why? Because without apps, the hardware is useless. The lack of sideloading on iOS is nothing but pure greed. The world is sick of it, thus the many many anti-trust cases all around the world.

 

[I7guy]

They should go one step further — they should also make it so that if I bought the app on iOS, and I switch to android, I shouldn't have to pay for the app a second time. If developers want the ability to provide their products outside the App Store for their financial benefit, then they shouldn't be able to double-dip charging me for switching platforms for my benefit.

My feeling is the above has no chance of being signed into law. As far as this bill, we will see. I thought Apple would lose the Epic vs Apple lawsuit and yet....

 

[deeddawg]

he's lying/being sarcastic. Its a Pinocchio emoji to let you know.

Thanks, I'm on my non-mac laptop and the emoji wasn't at all clear what it was so I couldn't discern the intent.

 

[danakin]

Good bye to Security and Privacy. It will open up the door access to Melware

Who is this Mel person who has the ware?

 

[jameslmoser]

Time for Apple to block all but their barebones base level APIs from apps that don't go through the App Store.

If developers don't want to pay Apple anything, they shouldn't reap the rewards from the billions Apple has spent on development of iOS and hardware over the years.

The fact those developers create apps for Apple's operating systems is the reason anyone even buys their devices... They don't owe apple anything.

 

[BreakYurAnkles]

Who is this Mel person who has the ware?

Melware gets you blacklisted in Hollywood for going against the establishment studios and producers...

they call it the Melware Gibson Conspiracy Theory..... its a Lethal Weapon..... 1 2 3 & 4 franchise killer

in essence, it will ruin your career in Hollywood.

you have to have a BraveHeart to get Melware.