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Security is an issue on Mac and PC, but it has everything to do with apps being allowed to run with root privileges and very little to do with the apps not coming from the officially sanctioned app store.
Sometimes ransomware doesn’t need admin/root. Just as long as it’s running in the user’s context it can access the user’s files and encrypt them. That’s just one example. I have seen lots of malware over the years running for the user alone. Changing logins and the malware won’t run. Even standard users instead of admins had some of this malware.
 
This is absolute BS. In my opinion EU is on the wrong side here. But it is all about the money. They see super successful US company and they are jealous of the money they get. Instead of thinking how to punish them, they should be thinking on how to create a local 'Apple'. But this is politics..

Apple should stick it to them. They should offer this "open/sideloding" option only on iPhone SE, and only on previous generation. If you want side loading - get old phone. Or even better. Offer a new line line of iPhones, a "clean" iPhone. The iPhone without the appstore, or only with apple inhouse application. Like the fist gen phone. I would love to buy one, without all this crap. I've been using iphone since they were introduced, spend thousands on apps and games, but I've noticed that now I only need it for phone, email and web. I don't give a damn about all this subscription nonsense. Never had one, never will. Anyway, this will be bad for Apple stock. I was just glad I had an option all these years to have a secure, no nonsense, no virus, malware (like android) phone. iPod came and went, iPhone will too.

ps: to all the hopeful developers, that think they will get more cash because of new payment - ╭∩╮. If they open the ios, it will be the last day I will pay for any app. cracked apps app the way. I hope they what they want, and by that I mean they have less income because of that :)

While I can acknowledge your point, I fail to see the "why", for example designating the SE. Use Android as an example for sideloading effect and impact. Once again, I hear your point, I just struggle to see a reason for it. Thx
 
Except they aren't. That argument died the instant Netflix showed up on a 360. The instant Sony allowed Linux to be installed on a PS3 - which there was a class-action lawsuit for when they took the ability away. Microsoft's entire video game business exists because of the threat they saw to desktop computing with the Playstation.

Let's call them entertainment consoles.
I know I am not going to haul mine to pay for my groceries instead of my phone.
 
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Would one be able to Opt-Out of sideloading ?

Blocking my phone from future sideloading ?

Never would I want sideloading on my iPhone. It is the whole point of the iPhone: Security, Efficiancy and Controlled Quality.

Until we see solutions, we won't know. IMO it would be something that would be needed to be unlocked from within Settings.
 
Except everything you can do on a smartphone, I can do on an Xbox. We can thank Google's Chromebook line for that and the fact as I, too, have a fully provisioned Chromium-based web browser.

It's a general purpose computer, and has been for decades now. If that is how we're going to loosely define it.

I mean, carrying a digital vaccine card, or drivers license, or healthcare card -- I guess even a computer isn't a computer anymore, and at the very least, a Chromebook isn't a computer. Those are abstracts from what the definition actually is. Though, each exists on the web too.......

Because you could doesn't mean that is what it does. Could you morph it into one? Kind of.
Somehow I doubt my employer is going to let me work from home via my PS or Xbox.
 
Yep, it's what happens w Macs. If someone isn't smart enough, or educated enough, to know to trust Adobe's own website to download their apps from, then maybe its just not safe for them to even use a computer or smart phone.
I had to be careful where I got some open source software from. Some of those still use horrible third party sites to download it.
 
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How would this affect if you ... if you chose to not sideload your setup is still closed.
Choice is nice. I have jailbroken my iPhones for 10yrs plus never once a malware issue but I like my customizations that Apple refuses to allow.
It would affect you because tons of devs would start requiring sideloading to run their apps at all, as a way to circumvent whatever iPhone rules.

You know what's the original sideloading, websites. Except they're way safer. I'd be happy if Apple just properly implemented PWAs and called it a day.
 
Security is an issue on Mac and PC, but it has everything to do with apps being allowed to run with root privileges and very little to do with the apps not coming from the officially sanctioned app store.
Root privs don't mean much. Most software running on MacOS, Linux, or Windows without root/admin mode is already far more privileged than it needs to be, enough to cause damage. Just can't do certain things like accessing other programs' memory.
 
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Yes. Safari on iPhone was a massive leap forward for mobile browsing. How is it not a core component of iOS? It predates the App Store, the front facing camera, copy and paste... it has been part of the iPhone since day one. Why should Apple be forced to allow alternatives to a core part of their product? Unlike the App Store or IAP, which were introduced after the iPhone launched, I don't see how one can argue that keeping iOS WebKit only is illegal tying when it was always part of the iPhone as a headline feature.
Literally this. It’s one of the three key features Steve talked about.
 
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Or, a popular Chinese-backed wildly popular game that became popular on the main official store suddenly decides to only be installable via side-loading. Suddenly millions of kids are side-loading the game on their parent’s work phones.

**For those of you who don’t realize; this is exactly what happened with Fortnight on Android

Personal opinion: parent who allow their kids open access to their phones deserve what they get.
 
Your corporate store is regulated. Sideloading, alternative app stores are unregulated as the Wild West were.

What I still can't get around, is why would this "OMG!!!!" issue be specific to iOS and not Android? I use both, "sideload" on my Android device, and not seeing any issue.

Oh yeah, my work: regulated is an understatement.
 
I'm a professional mobile application developer for a living. Trust me, Apple's tools are quite a bit more painful in terms of getting applications onto an actual device during development. There are a lot of hoops to jump through and it's caused problems at my company on more than one occasion.

Good to know. Wonder if anyone here does both Google and Apple dev and can speak to how hard one is to the other.
 
Good to know. Wonder if anyone here does both Google and Apple dev and can speak to how hard one is to the other.
When I was doing app development, I didn’t really find either to be difficult, but slightly different
 
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What I still can't get around, is why would this "OMG!!!!" issue be specific to iOS and not Android? I use both, "sideload" on my Android device, and not seeing any issue.

Oh yeah, my work: regulated is an understatement.
While imo this is an issue in android, I believe on iOS malware, phishing and scam ware apps will be magnified. Of course there’s no proof as a future event has not yet happened. We will only be able to rely on hindsight.
 
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Haha, no this law uses a minimum amount of users over 3 years active in 3 or more EU states, And revenue as the minimum threshold. There is no loophole to use.

It’s not based on market share, or definition manufacturers use or profitability.
Does it apply to “gaming devices”… Maybe Apple should do a public pivot to focus on their gaming platform(without actually changing anything). If this doesn’t apply to Xbox(basically a Windows PC) or Nintendo Switch(basically an iPad) then it has HUGE loopholes.
 
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How can Apple ensure other 3rd party software works without breaking its hardware/software.
They don't have to. They just have equitable access and stop throwing wrenches.
When this law just punched an iceberg sized hole in the ship? How is that even possible to state? Apple is now responsible for this BS law by ensuring other stores work just as well as it's own
No. They aren't responsible for other stores. Just to allow them fair access.
I still think my option works best here. Apple provides the user with a choice when they initially setup the device. You pick "OPEN", or "Normal" iOS. If you pick Normal, you do things the way it has always been. If you pick OPEN, you get to download a few web browsers, and the phone app is preinstalled. Everything you side load
Almost. You're almost there.
Now let your imagination run just one tiny step further:

How about we combine "open" and "normal" iOS into one??We can just have an in-OS switch: Turn on and you're open to sideload - leave it off, if you prefer walled garden. No need to have two different OSes.
 
None of the lawsuits and new laws has until now been able to change the fact that Apple can decide on their business model.
They can decide on their business model - but only within rules and boundaries permitted by law.

What the DMA (proposed) does is impose certain conditions and obligations on certain platforms that will absolutely curtail their freedom to decide on their business model


You can't require a company to develop software (OS etc) and api's for free.
No. But you can require companies that have developed and are selling it (be it bundled with hardware or not) in certain markets to play by the jurisdiction's rules.

Can Apple "go nuclear", decides it doesn't want to and just withdraw from the European Union market? Absolutely.
I just don't believe they're going to do that - thereby losing billions of USD in revenue and earnings.
 
But the story doesn't end there, does it? The part you left out is that it didn't work all that well and that Fortnite is back in the Play Store.

The most likely outcome of Apple allowing sideloading is that very little changes for the vast majority of users who want to limit themselves to the App Store. A few companies might try to circumvent it, but market forces and a consumer base accustomed to the App Store model would force them back.
So, why make a rule that will end up doing mostly nothing? Seems like a major waste of time all around.
Overall it would still be a benefit because it would open a path for those apps that Apple doesn't want in the official store for whatever reason.
But, they will still have to some how answer for. And, possibly have to support working on their platform.
 
There are no technical differences between an App Store app and a side loaded one.
So lets say someone creates a fake bank of America App, distributes it on a legitimate looking website, gets the site to the top of Google results or pays for ads elsewhere do you not think that out of millions of customers that a couple thousand at least would not try to login via the app and have their bank accounts wiped clean.

In this simple scenario, no malware would be needed, heck the app doesnt even need to operate beyond username/pass (so not flagged). Just some good old fashioned promotion of a fake app (and side loading being allowed).

IMHO Where you buy a product is as important as the product itself.
 
The goofy stuff some folks come up with forgetting if this was factual Android would be in this boat already.
Fair point ?

But doesn’t android have its occasional reports of apps stealing data? Far more than iOS.

And does Android not give loads of data to Google for advertisement purposes? Why is that a good thing?

And do we know that governments DON’T collect vast data and monitor their citizens on Android phones?

I don’t hear Google going to bat for its users mentioning how privacy is paramount to their company values and they have no business knowing what goes on your phone. No, no… the best Google says is that “our services aren’t free and so we pay for them through advertising…. Ahem…. (Thatwecollectvastamountsofdatathatifyouonlyknewhowmuchyouwouldhateus)”
 
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So lets say someone creates a fake bank of America App, distributes it on a legitimate looking website, gets the site to the top of Google results or pays for ads elsewhere do you not think that out of millions of customers that a couple thousand at least would not try to login via the app and have their bank accounts wiped clean.

In this simple scenario, no malware would be needed, heck the app doesnt even need to operate beyond username/pass (so not flagged). Just some good old fashioned promotion of a fake app (and side loading being allowed).

IMHO Where you buy a product is as important as the product itself.
Yep you don’t need an malware App for that, just let them login directly into the fake account through the browser, get their credentials and f’ them up.
What’s next, kill the browser because it’s too dangerous?

Better teach people to not click on every crap that shows up in their mailbox.
Teach them to browse important legit sites directly as they used to do in the 90s and install the legit Bank Of America iOS App from there, instead of clicking on a shady banco-of-americanski.ru link.

The potential of getting a fake, unrelated or copycat App through the AppStore is much higher, simply because there no interaction with and no clear reference to the source of the App.

9500CA37-EF29-452B-929E-C0D37CF8B1BA.png

This can happen everywhere, on and offline, these people are predestined to step into traps in every area of life, if they walk blindly through life that way.
 
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Does it apply to “gaming devices”… Maybe Apple should do a public pivot to focus on their gaming platform(without actually changing anything). If this doesn’t apply to Xbox(basically a Windows PC) or Nintendo Switch(basically an iPad) then it has HUGE loopholes.
It applies to any device with a store described as gatekeepers.

When Xbox, PlayStation or switch have enough users and revenue they will be covered.
  • turnover equal to or above EUR 6.5 billion in the last three financial years, or where the average market capitalisation or the equivalent fair market value of the undertaking to which it belongs amounted to at least EUR 65 billion in the last financial year, and it provides a core platform service in at least three Member States;
  • it provides a core platform service that has more than 45 million monthly active end users established or located in the Union and more than 10 000 yearly active business users established in the Union in the last financial year;
  • the thresholds in point (b) were met in each of the last three financial years.
 
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