Apple’s former marketing chief and current App Store head Phil Schiller recently sat down with Fast Company‘s Michael Grothaus to discuss the privacy and security risks connected to alternative app stores, which Apple is required to allow on the iPhone in the European Union, which takes effect in March.
“These new regulations, while they bring new options for developers, also bring new risks. There’s no getting around that. So we’re doing everything we can to minimize those risks for everyone,” Schiller told me in a recent discussion about the privacy and security impact of the European Commission’s Digital Markets Act.
Schiller says one of these risks is the potential for users to download malicious or unsafe apps. He warns that notarization will not be as thorough as the official App Store review process and guidelines for developers.
Schiller also says the App Store’s strict rules surrounding objectionable content might not extend to alternative app marketplaces, according to Schiller:
“We have dealt with a lot of input from families, from governments, on things that we need to do to try to either not allow certain kinds of objectionable content on our App Store, or give users control over that experience to decide what’s best for themselves—and we have rules around that,” Schiller says. “Those rules will not apply in another marketplace unless they choose to make rules of their own, [with] whatever criteria they come up with. Does that increase the risk of users, and families, running into objectionable content or other experiences? Yes, it does.”
Apple outlines similar dangers on its website:
If not properly managed, alternative distribution poses increased privacy, safety, and security risks for users and developers. This includes risks from installing software from unknown developers that are not subject to the Apple Developer Program requirements, installing software that compromises system integrity with malware or other malicious code, the distribution of pirated software, exposure to illicit, objectionable, and harmful content due to lower content and moderation standards, and increased risks of scams, fraud, and abuse. Apple has less ability to address these risks, and to support and refund customers regarding these issues. Even with safeguards, many of these risks remain.
To read the full interview, visit the Fast Company‘s website.