Apple is attacking Android again while highlighting the security of iOS and the App Store. This time Apple says iOS is much safer than Android because it doesn't allow sideloading.
The attack was delivered by Apple through a document entitled 'Building a Trusted Ecosystem for Millions of Apps' that they have just released. The document was released in response to the European Commission's call for Apple to allow sideloading on iPhones.
Sideloading is a practice that allows users to install applications outside of their primary app store, for example from a third -party website or app store. Android allows users to sideloading applications, while iOS does not allow sideloading due to security factors.
In the document, Apple said sideloading practices make Android more frequent targets of malware. Apple cites Nokia reports published in 2019 and 2020 that say Android devices are more often infected with malicious applications than iPhones.
"Android phones are the most common target of mobile malware and have recently received between 15 and 47 times more infections from malicious applications than iPhones. Studies have found 98% of mobile malware targets Android devices," Apple wrote in the report, as quoted from MacRumors, Friday (15/10/2021).
"This is closely related to sideloading: In 2018, for example, Android devices that install apps outside of Google Play, the official Android app store, are eight times more likely to be exposed to potentially harmful apps than those that don't," he continued.
On the other hand, Apple claims malware on iOS is rarely found. They also said the cyber attack targeting iOS was a narrowly targeted attack carried out by the state.
Apple says if they bring a sideloading feature in iOS then users will potentially be exposed to more malicious apps and will lose control after downloading apps from third parties.
The iPhone manufacturer also added that sideloading rules would also force them to remove access from third-party applications to non-public hardware elements and functions of the operating system, thus posing a privacy and security threat to users.
Apple also exemplifies that sideloading can be used by cyber criminals to trick users into downloading applications that look similar to the App Store, or rogue applications that offer exclusive features.
This is not the first time Apple has criticized sideloading practices. In a similar document released in June, Apple CEO Tim Cook claimed sideloading could undermine the security of the iPhone and all privacy initiatives in the App Store.
Meanwhile, Apple and the App Store continue to be the concern of policymakers and other companies. One of them is Epic Games, the developer of Fortnite, which last year sued Apple for being considered anti -competitive.
