A new directive from the European Union could force Apple to allow users to install third-party apps without going through the App Store, a process known as sideloading.
The Digital Markets Act (DMA) has not yet been approved by the European Parliament, but if that happens, it will come into force this same year, in October.
And if approved, Apple could have been forced to allow users to install third-party apps and stores, which the Cupertino company strongly opposed, citing possible security risks.
Fr a document published by Apple itself last year assures that “allowing sideloading would degrade the security of the iOS platform and expose users to serious security risks, not only in third-party application stores, but also in the AppStore”.
The vision of European Union politicians, meanwhile, is diametrically opposed. The portal of the Johannes Bahrke commission declared that “we believe that the owner of a smartphone should have the freedom to choose how they want to use it”.
“This freedom includes the ability to opt for strong alternative apps for your smartphone. With DMA, a smartphone owner will continue to be able to maintain the security of App Store services by default. user chooses to do so, the DMA will also allow them to register with other secure app stores.”
An Apple portal, Emma Wilson, responded to this statement by stating that “some points in the DMA create vulnerabilities that require the privacy and security of our users, while others are able to collect intellectual property from of which we have invested large sums”. .
