Apple Says Allowing Sideloading on iPhone Would Expose Users to Serious Privacy and Security Risks

This article has been indexed from MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors – Front Page

Amid the ongoing controversy over its tight control of app distribution on iOS, Apple today laid out its case arguing that allowing apps to be sideloaded on an iPhone would expose users to serious privacy and security risks. Sideloading refers to installing apps from a source outside of the official App Store, such as a website or third-party app store.

The document cites Nokia’s 2020 Threat Intelligence Report that found Android devices to be infected with significantly more malware than iPhones, in part due to Android allowing apps to be sideloaded outside of the Google Play store:

A study found that devices that run on Android had 15 times more infections from malicious software than iPhone, with a key reason being that Android apps “can be downloaded from just about anywhere,” while everyday iPhone users can only download apps from one source: the App Store.

Apple said allowing sideloading on the iPhone would “spur a flood of new investment into attacks” on the iOS platform:

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. Malicious actors would take advantage of the opportunity by devoting more resources to develop sophisticated attacks targeting iOS users, thereby expanding the set of weaponized exploits and attacks – often referred to as a “threat model” – that all users need to be safeguarded against. This increased risk of malware attacks puts all users at greater risk, even those who only download apps from the App Store.

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