Apple is forced to allow installation of 3rd party Apps (outside of their official store) in the EU

[theREALdotnet]

About this time next year Ms. Vestager is going to demand that Apple do something about the proliferation of malware on the iOS platform…

 

[mhardy6647]

As a software developer, I would say calling them stupid is being nice.

For example I've had to deal with people like the fictitious one in this tale from the 90's.

Too Stupid to Own a Computer

Did a Microsoft employee tell a customer he was 'too stupid to own a computer'?

www.snopes.com

If memory serves, the term of art is (or was) PEBKAC.

 

[AdrianusG]

Whenever my wife is yelling at her WinTel computer (or her Android phone), I tell her that she'd probably be happier, and better off, with Apple products. She actually gets even testier when I suggest that -- she really doesn't like the Apple way of doing things -- but I really do think she'd be happier on any given day living in Apple's ecosystem.

"she really doesn't like the Apple way of doing things"

And she's absolutely right about that, Android or even Windows anytime for me too!

 

[Keith_W]

If memory serves, the term of art is (or was) PEBKAC.

Problem exists between keyboard and computer?

 

[DLS79]

Problem exists between keyboard and computer?

PEBCAK - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

en.wiktionary.org

Problem Exists Between Chair And Keyboard!

 

[mhardy6647]

PEBCAK - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

en.wiktionary.org

Problem Exists Between Chair And Keyboard!

whoops!
so, you can see where the problem exists here at my house!
I was recollecting it was 'twixt Keyboard and Chair.

 

[Ron Texas]

I have thought about this some more. As I have already said I consider this legislation heavy handed. A mobile phone is going to be used by all sorts of people who don't have enough sense to protect themselves from fraud and malware. Anyone who does not like Apple's walled garden can buy an Android phone. This was totally unnecessary. Some of us in the US business community feel this sort of regulation is aimed at making foreign companies less competitive.

 

[DLS79]

I have thought about this some more. As I have already said I consider this legislation heavy handed. A mobile phone is going to be used by all sorts of people who don't have enough sense to protect themselves from fraud and malware.

Then they should acquire the sense needed. The amount of lowest common denominator coddling in the world today is out of hand!

Strangely this scene from 1991 comes to mind!

https://c.tenor.com/iSMkK-3E0BYAAAAC/tenor.gif

 

[Ron Texas]

Then they should acquire the sense needed. The amount of lowest common denominator coddling in the world today is out of hand!

Strangely this scene from 1991 comes to mind!

https://c.tenor.com/iSMkK-3E0BYAAAAC/tenor.gif

No, the EU should stop meddling and anyone who doesn't like a walled garden can buy and Android phone. Apple is not a monopoly. None (or few) of these big tech companies are based in the EU. This regulation is a form of coddling. It's I want an iPhone, but I want it my way. This is sometimes called the cake mentality. It's people who want to keep their cake and eat it too. People with no sense will not acquire any. I'm sure the EU has many regulations to protect people from themselves. This is just a way of trying to hurt successful US companies. Some developers will benefit from this but consumers will not. Apple has to do a lot of work to make this work and consumers in and out of the EU will be paying for it.

 

[Reed]

You’re asking people who never back up their phones or computers if Apple should let them sideload apps. And they say of course.

 

[sweetchaos]

Some developers will benefit from this but consumers will not. Apple has to do a lot of work to make this work and consumers in and out of the EU will be paying for it.

Apple developers will be able to write new code and then release new apps for users to sideload. These Apple developers will of course benefit from this change, since it’s both exposure and profit for them.

Consumers will also benefit, since there will be a lot more applications that are available to sideload, that were previously not possible to download from the official App Store. Sure, there will be malicious applications, along legitimate ones. But it’s always up to the user to verify the authenticity of downloading anything on the internet. So that doesn’t change.

Apple will of course, be forced to allow these sideloaded apps, which means they’ll have to write new code to allow this in the beginning. At this point, we don’t know whether Apple will implement an anti-malware scanner, like Android Play Store has, so we’ll have to wait and see.

Of course, businesses will also be affected by this, as it means there’s a new threat model that they have to deal with. Hopefully, through the use of MDM, they can stop the ability for their employees to run these side-loaded apps, when used on their corporate network.

Hopefully, this option becomes available to parents through the use of “Parental control”, so kids who don’t know any better, will also be protected from any potential malicious sideloaded apps.

Anyway, I don’t see this being a negative, much like you can install any application for any platform. It’s always up to the user to verify the legitimacy of the applications they install.

 

[sweetchaos]

People seem to be confusing what side-loading of applications implies. It doesn’t imply that their iPhone’s security somehow becomes weaker just by the fact that their phone can do this.

So if you want to stay within your walled garden of only using official Apple apps, you’re free to do so.

No one is forcing you to install anything else.
So your security model stays the same.

 

[Ron Texas]

Apple developers will be able to write new code and then release new apps for users to sideload. These Apple developers will of course benefit from this change, since it’s both exposure and profit for them.

Consumers will also benefit, since there will be a lot more applications that are available to sideload, that were previously not possible to download from the official App Store. Sure, there will be malicious applications, along legitimate ones. But it’s always up to the user to verify the authenticity of downloading anything on the internet. So that doesn’t change.

Apple will of course, be forced to allow these sideloaded apps, which means they’ll have to write new code to allow this in the beginning. At this point, we don’t know whether Apple will implement an anti-malware scanner, like Android Play Store has, so we’ll have to wait and see.

Of course, businesses will also be affected by this, as it means there’s a new threat model that they have to deal with. Hopefully, through the use of MDM, they can stop the ability for their employees to run these side-loaded apps, when used on their corporate network.

Hopefully, this option becomes available to parents through the use of “Parental control”, so kids who don’t know any better, will also be protected from any potential malicious sideloaded apps.

Anyway, I don’t see this being a negative, much like you can install any application for any platform. It’s always up to the user to verify the legitimacy of the applications they install.

I see this as forcing a private business to meet the political goals of a regulator. Only a few developers will benefit. It's wishful thinking to say more apps will be available. It's going to be a real mess when people start complaining about malware and fraud. Why should I worry. Europe is struggling to keep the lights on with their climate goals and the cut off of Russian natural gas.

 

[jhaider]

People seem to be confusing what side-loading of applications implies. It doesn’t imply that their iPhone’s security somehow becomes weaker just by the fact that their phone can do this.

Why wouldn’t your data security be degraded though? If you can load programs outside established channels, what’s to prevent threat actors from doing the same?

 

[CarbonMakerU]

Heck, many of the "app store"-blessed apps are plenty malicious enough.

I understand the intent of this statement, but this definition of malicious is a warms summers day in reality to what can be done with just one click of the "agree to all" button by the herd.

 

[DWPress]

Only a few developers will benefit. It's wishful thinking to say more apps will be available.

If I were a developer and had a mildly successful app on Apples AppStore you bet I'd re-release it in the EU and take my 30% profit back. It may encourage new developers to code for iOS or port their product with those kinds of margins gained.

 

[sweetchaos]

Why wouldn’t your data security be degraded though? If you can load programs outside established channels, what’s to prevent threat actors from doing the same?

Threat actors are just exploiting a vulnerability (or better yet multiple stacked vulnerabilities) in some Apple's product/service.
So they're bypassing Apple's protection.
In which case, you have bigger problems to worry about.
Once the threat actor exploits your phone and gets access, it's game over.
The threat actors today, can already gain almost root-level of access to your device.

The fact that your phone also supports the ability to side-load applications is almost irrelevant then. It's already too late.

 

[theREALdotnet]

If I were a developer and had a mildly successful app on Apples AppStore you bet I'd re-release it in the EU and take my 30% profit back.

Don’t you think your customers would expect you to pass on the savings? Isn’t that the main reason for them to use a sideload store in the first place? If the price stays the same, why wouldn’t they rather buy your app from Apple’s app store?

If you think you can just pull the app from the Apple app store – good luck.

I have a feeling that a lot of people see no value in the trust and confidence the Apple app store confers, and reckon people will flock to sideloading. Again, good luck to them.

 

[sweetchaos]

Let's say you wanted a YouTube player for Android OS.
Google Play store only has YouTube official app, so you're out of luck.

To side-load any YouTube player, you would have to look elsewhere.

Here's four github Android OS apps that are open-source, which you can easily install for Android OS, since Android OS allows for side-loading.

#1. NewPipe (Application for Android OS) (github) (27k stars)
#2. LibreTube (Application for Android OS) (github) (7k stars)
#3. SkyTube (Application for Android OS) (github) (2k stars)
#4. Tubular (Application for Android OS) (github) (0k stars)

People go to Android, because Apple's approach of locking down apps is their own enemy.
Like I said before, this move will bring back a lot of Apple former users who switched to Android previously, because their Apple experience was limited.

 

[Keith_W]

Like I said before, this move will bring back a lot of Apple former users who switched to Android previously, because their Apple experience was limited.

I haven't used any iOS devices for a very long time. But do they still force you to use the default Apple apps? e.g. any web link automatically launches in Safari, if you want to use another browser you had to manually copy-paste the link into the other browser. Any maps link automatically launched in Apple maps, and any phone link automatically launched in their dialler. I don't remember any third party dialler apps for iOS but this was a long time ago. And of course, no option to change the launcher on iOS. If iOS still prevents you from changing default apps, I think that many would still think the Apple experience is limited.