Tim Cook
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Apple must comply with a new EU law on competing app stores, but it is constantly protesting and is now displaying emails from users who are afraid of change.
Ahead of the March 7, 2024 deadline and opening up the possibility of third-party app stores in the EU coming with iOS 17.4, Apple has published a white paper detailing compliance with the law and its objections to it. As part of this, the document includes the texts of 16 emails sent to Tim Cook by interested users in the European Union.
“I am increasingly worried and fearful about my digital privacy and online safety in the EU,” says one. “As an EU citizen and Apple user, I have always believed that I have the perfect balance between regulatory protections (such as GDPR) and Apple's security features (such as app and App Store tracking transparency).”
Example of emails from interested EU users published by Apple
“I really hope that you will offer me, as an EU customer, the opportunity not to use any sideloaders,” says another. “I want to rely on a trusted App Store, not some bullshit…”
“Please stop doing this,” says another, who says he's “very happy with iOS because it's not like Android” This writer seems to think the new rules are Apple's choice and therefore concludes: “Please don't enable sideloading… we want iOS was similar to the old one, with strict rules and extremely high security.”
“I truly believe that the security of the iPhone, iPad and all other devices will be seriously compromised if this update is installed,” says another one: “I'm really scared of this and I think it makes the iPhone a little less secure.”
One EU user says he will never sideload apps on his iPhone
Apple has consistently railed against competing app stores or sideloading pose a security risk to iPhone users. Apple's Senior Vice President of Software Engineering Craig Federighi said that “sideloading is a cybercriminal's best friend.”
