Upcoming EU Sideloading Bill Would 'Cripple the Privacy and Security Protections' iPhone Users Expect, Says Apple

[icanhazmac]

You mean the bank that already has all of your private information including address, email, phone number, social security number, mother's maiden name, and bank account numbers? The bank isn't getting any information from an app that they don't already have.

Well you chose to side-step my entire point that a bank app would no longer need to declare, in easy to read terms, data collected, shared and sold by their app such as: LOCATION TRACKING which is something a bank would not normally have access to.

Banks do not need the Apple App store in order to thrive, like insurance companies, cable companies etc, they have a captive audience, not one that needs to be found and marketed to so they can leave the app store easily. Admittedly they may or may not do so but if a bank found a reliable income source from selling location data I bet they will and if the cost of that revenue stream is leaving the Apple App Store I bet they will.

 

[Appleman3546]

Apple may have one final chance to get ahead of this with some kind of compromise in iOS 16 that sets things by their terms in their own Apple way, but it sounds like Apple likely will instead opt to reap as much as it can under the old way.

 

[diddl14]

I want sdieloading on my TV, my car, my freaking fridge and anything else that has a cpu and some software! Let's open everything up, not just Apple </s>

(this whole side-loading demand is totally bizarre. Apple created this ecosystem, they own it, they sell it and yet they make a ******** of money on it. Good for them!)

 

[AlexESP]

E.U isn't taking away your rights, its merely expanding options for others. you can still do you, but others will have the option if they want to.

Allowing or not allowing sideloading is a design decision. They are restricting Apple about its design decisions. And once again: giving options almost always has downsides. Each company must gauge how important those are, and if they’re compensated by the upsides.

 

[Treq]

A "backdoor" that only the user has the key to.

If they don't want to let apps in, they can choose not to.

That’s the problem with back doors. If you install one, even one with a lock on it, someone will figure out how to pick it. That’s why apple has always fought the fbi when they request that they install one for them. It inherently makes the system less secure and it is only a matter of time until someone exploits it.

 

[Macative]

I'm glad to see this being forced.

I'm not. Who the *** is the EU to force Apple to do anything? Let alone something as ridiculous as this.

 

[Macative]

You said “no one complains about side loading on Android”. That’s the case because, if it’s a big deal, you can stay on iOS. And yes, choosing Android or iOS has its upsides and downsides… that’s life, a company designs something, then you choose whatever fits you best. I don’t want the EU to do that for me.

+1 This isn't why the E.U. exists, but the E.U. certainly thinks this is why it exists...to force its will upon anyone it wants to.

 

[MacMeHappy]

Is sideloading a good thing for me? I have no idea.

It does prove that one business had more money for lobbyists than another and it looks like they won this round.

Yay.

 

[Macative]

Does anyone commenting on this issue have the ability to understand:

1) I want this to happen.
2) They should be forced to make it happen.

....are not the same thing?

 

[AlexESP]

What does a bank have to gain by choosing not to be on the App Store?

Using APIs for purposes which are not allowed if distributed via the App Store? I’m thinking about things like NFC.

 

[alex2792]

More importantly, it would deal a serious blow to Tim Cook’s mega yacht fund. Will someone please think of Tim?!

 

[alex2792]

Easy to say right now, but that falls down when most major apps decide to leave the app store to avoid the fee to Apple. Then you'll only be able to get small-time games and utilities from the app store, and if you want any real functionality you'll have to sideload because all the major publishers only put their apps out that way.

Then Apple would have to revise their BS policies to compete? The horror!

 

[kognos]

Apple is wrong on this one - lots of emotion and hyperbole here. Their method for implemetation is the only factor in allowing it to be insecure.

 

[bobenhaus]

Apple should give its customers more credit. Nobody is forcing anyone to sideload. I sure as hell won't, except for maybe a couple of video game system emulators.

Yeah once you buy a product from Apple it is owned by the consumer.

 

[BurgDog]

I'm not. Who the *** is the EU to force Apple to do anything? Let alone something as ridiculous as this.

A government elected by the people it represents that is powerful enough to counterbalance a powerful American based company. They do what they think is in the best interests of their people.

 

[vipergts2207]

Well you chose to side-step my entire point that a bank app would no longer need to declare, in easy to read terms, data collected, shared and sold by their app such as: LOCATION TRACKING which is something a bank would not normally have access to.

Banks do not need the Apple App store in order to thrive, like insurance companies, cable companies etc, they have a captive audience, not one that needs to be found and marketed to so they can leave the app store easily. Admittedly they may or may not do so but if a bank found a reliable income source from selling location data I bet they will and if the cost of that revenue stream is leaving the Apple App Store I bet they will.

Sounds like you need use a bank that doesn't disrespect their customers like that.

Using APIs for purposes which are not allowed if distributed via the App Store? I’m thinking about things like NFC.

That should be a user choice to make.

 

[Macative]

A government elected by the people it represents that is powerful enough to counterbalance a powerful American based company. They do what they think is in the best interests of their people.

They are an uncontrolled entity that does whatever they please with the power given to them.

People have become incapable of separating "I want" from "This should be forced on others", and thusly support illegal overreaches of power on a regular basis.

 

[_Spinn_]

So is this just targeting Apple or will this go after video game consoles as well?

 

[BurgDog]

They are an uncontrolled entity that does whatever they please with the power given to them.

People have become incapable of separating "I want" from "This should be forced on others", and thusly support illegal overreaches of power on a regular basis.

They are an elected government answerable to the people. If they attempt illegal actions the courts will not permit it. Apple is a business answerable only to their stockholders and to the laws of the countries they operate in.

 

[_Spinn_]

At worst, the next step will be: Require Apple to allow governments to preload software on all phones sold in the region.

At best, the next step will be: Zero Day exploit that runs through contact lists and exploits everyone’s data because of just one person who sideloaded “Flappy Bird Returns!”(_V1rus H@x De@th Bl0w).

Awesome.

Would be interesting if Apple locked down certain APIs (like contacts, location, etc.) to only signed apps from the AppStore due to security. Then you could sideload boring apps like a calculator but they wouldn't be able to do much with the rest of the system. I doubt this would be allowed by the courts though.

 

[icanhazmac]

Sounds like you need use a bank that doesn't disrespect their customers like that.

Again you purposefully avoid my point that when apps can remove themselves from the Apple App store they will not be required to provide the privacy labels they are today and I highly doubt they will via alt-stores or via their own site.

Attempting to put this back on my choice of banks is a childish way to debate this issue. Almost all of the big name apps are collecting data for the purpose of using, sharing and selling that data. At least from the Apple App store they are required to tell me they are doing it in plain language and not hidden deep in a user agreement filled with legal jargon.

 

[SFjohn]

Seems like Apple may be forced into a corner. If they are, I hope they implement something like they did with tracking. For example when you set up your new iPhone you have the option of disabling side-loading or you can block side-loading altogether. I’m very happy with Apple‘s current business model As a customer.

 

[macfacts]

For those of you wanting sideloading. Why did you not purchase an android device?

I suspect that they're locked into iMessage.

 

[_Spinn_]

Developers will require sideloading if you want their app. If you need the app (your job requires it for example), you're pretty much forced to sideload.

This is what I'm most concerned about with sideloading.

Easy to say right now, but that falls down when most major apps decide to leave the app store to avoid the fee to Apple. Then you'll only be able to get small-time games and utilities from the app store, and if you want any real functionality you'll have to sideload because all the major publishers only put their apps out that way.

I can imagine Meta (Facebook) or Google (with the way they treated Windows Phone) trying to make you get their AppStore just to use their apps and as an added bonus to them since the apps aren't reviewed by Apple anymore they can sneak in extra tracking.

 

[DanTheMan827]

Can scanning for private APIs be built into the OS?

Just make it part of the app notarization process.