A well-known manufacturer of smartphones and other electronics, Apple, sent a special appeal to US federal lawmakers. It disputes the view that the company is overestimating the risks of a law allowing third-party apps to be downloaded to the iPhone.
We know that the US Congress is already considering a bill according to which users will be able to download applications to smartphones bypassing “branded” marketplaces. In particular, the future law aims the Apple App Store and the Google Play marketplaces. Apple argues that this practice will pose a threat to the security of user data; since the company still tightly controls the applications downloaded by developers.
In a letter sent Thursday to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, the heads of the Democratic and Republican parties and the leadership of the antitrust subcommittee, Apple continues to insist that most malware distribution schemes do not rely on security holes in smartphones, but involve the use of various tricks and social security. engineering in order to convince users to install them. According to the company, the practice of checking applications in the App Store creates a high barrier; to the most common schemes used to distribute malicious software.
Apple urged lawmakers to reconsider legalizing third-party apps on iPhone
The company emphasized that while state-sponsored attacks on smartphone security systems can break the protection, these types of threats are very rare. At the same time, there is a lot of evidence that third-party marketplaces are a “key vector” for the spread of malicious software on platforms that support them.
In early February, the US Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill allowing app downloads from third-party sources. Additionally, it prohibits requiring software developers to exclusively use the payment systems offered by marketplaces; and punishing developers who offer other payment terms and prices for applications when they download it from alternative sites.
“As a result of any policy, if app developers find it realistically difficult to use an alternative payment system; and resort to using the dominant app store operator’s payment system; it would not fit the law’s purpose,” the official said; adding that this stance would likely be reflected in the final ordinance.”
In addition, we know that the US Congress is considering numerous bills; designed to restrict tech giants like Meta or Amazon from abusing their dominant position in the market. Although US lawmakers have many plans, none of them have yet become law at the federal level.
