Apple CEO Tim Cook loosely expressed opposition to the legislation that has gained bipartisan congressional backing, but lacks in cyber security and includes a number of red flags,such as the required sideloading.
Warning of a future filled with “unvetted iPhones,” Cook told attendees of the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) summit that tech-focused legislation in the US is primarily “taking away a more secure option” with the sideloading requirement included in this iteration of the Open App Markets.
“That means data-hungry companies would be able to avoid our privacy rules, and once again track our users against their will,” Cook said. “It would also potentially give bad actors a way around the comprehensive security protections we've put in place, putting them in direct contact with our users, and we have already seen the vulnerability that creates on other companies' devices.”
Cook highlighted that having one comprehensive package is comforting for those who value privacy–”one of the most essential battles of our time,” according to the Apple CEO.
"If we are forced to let unvetted apps onto iPhone, the unintended consequences will be profound," Cook said. "And when we see that, we feel an obligation to speak up—and to ask policymakers to work with us to advance goals that I truly believe we share, without undermining privacy in the process."
The Big Tech CEO asserted that the issue of privacy is “one of the most essential battles of our time.”
Proponents of the legislation argue that the company is attempting to maintain its control over the app store so that it can maintain charging exorbitant fees and control over exploited developers.