The US Government is currently discussing a law that would require Apple to open up their App Store to third-parties, and in response, Apple released a report that explains why the law would terrible for iPhone users. The company argues that opening up the store would lead to scenarios where “consumer privacy, device security, and innovation” are harmed.
Over the past year, Apple has faced an increasing amount of pressure and scrutiny over their ‘monopolistic’ control over the App Store, which is currently the only platform to install apps on iOS and iPadOS. There is also an ongoing trial between Epic Games and Apple, where the two companies are battling over the 30% cut that Apple takes from App Store revenue from developers.
If the law does get passed, Apple will be required to make major changes to their ecosystem and App Store policies, which understandably is something they are not willing to do. To support their argument, they released a 16-page report that details all the benefits their users enjoy, thanks to the work that Apple does for the App Store. These benefits include reviewing apps, protecting users from potential scams, malware, fraudulent transactions and keeps user data safe and private.
The report goes on to give many examples of why side-loading apps in the iPhone ecosystem would be a bad idea, such as a child bypassing parental restrictions by side-loading age-inappropriate games.
On Apple’s website, they said:
Allowing sideloading would degrade the security of the iOS platform and expose users to serious security risks not only on third-party app stores, but also on the App Store. Because of the large size of the iPhone user base and the sensitive data stored on their phones — photos, location data, health and financial information — allowing sideloading would spur a flood of new investment into attacks on the platform.