Apple contends that such a move would make phones the target
of malware or hijacking by cybercriminals and the company is sending top
executives to Europe to garner public support and show its resolve in stopping
the proposal becoming law.
The Digital Markets Act under consideration in Brussels
would force phone makers to allow third-party software to be installed on their
devices from outside official app stores.
Big Tech critics say Apple and others use their control over
software to entrench their dominant positions, while Apple argues its policies
are a matter of keeping users safe.
Apple calls such unofficial app installations
"side-loading". Such a function is already available on Android
phones that make up a majority of devices around the world. Apple warned of
malicious apps infecting shopper gadgets and made doomsday predictions.
"Sideloading is a cybercriminal's best friend,"
Federighi pressed the case on stage, addressing thousands of attendees at
Europe's largest technology conference.
One compromised device could overflow into entire networks,
and malware could jeopardize government systems, enterprise networks and public
utilities, he said.
The draft rules need a green light from EU lawmakers and EU
countries before they become law, likely in 2023.
Apple charges commissions of up to 30 percent for purchases
made within the App Store and loosening its grip on it might allow developers
to avoid paying those commissions.
Companies such as Spotify, which have been fighting Apple on
different fronts, from privacy changes on iOS devices to high commissions, have
called Apple's policies as "anticompetitive."
"The discussion about sideloading is just a sideshow,
which is really designed to deflect the conversation away from the things that
Apple is doing that are clearly anticompetitive," Spotify Chief Legal
Officer Horacio Gutierrez said in an interview.
"No one is arguing that Apple should lower their
standards for privacy and security... it's perfectly logical that Apple would
set and enforce certain standards with respect to privacy," he said. ©
Reuters
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