There are two bills working their way through Congress that would force companies like Apple to allow competitive app stores. Apple hates this, since it would break its monopoly, and it’s making a variety of security arguments to bolster its argument. I have written a rebuttal:
I would like to address some of the unfounded security concerns raised about these bills. It’s simply not true that this legislation puts user privacy and security at risk. In fact, it’s fairer to say that this legislation puts those companies’ extractive business-models at risk. Their claims about risks to privacy and security are both false and disingenuous, and motivated by their own self-interest and not the public interest. App store monopolies cannot protect users from every risk, and they frequently prevent the distribution of important tools that actually enhance security. Furthermore, the alleged risks of third-party app stores and “side-loading” apps pale in comparison to their benefits. These bills will encourage competition, prevent monopolist extortion, and guarantee users a new right to digital self-determination.
Matt Stoller has also written about this.
More Stories
Security at the core of Intel’s new vPro platform
Intel has introduced its 13th Generation Core processor line, which the company claims is the first to build threat detection...
New Post-Exploitation Attack Method Found Affecting Okta Passwords
The flaw derives from the way the Okta system records failed login attempts to instances Read More
Fake GPT Chrome extension steals Facebook session cookies, breaks into accounts
The world has gone ChatGPT bonkers. Which makes it an effective lure for cybercriminals who may want to break into...
Critical flaw in AI testing framework MLflow can lead to server and data compromise
MLflow, an open-source framework that's used by many organizations to manage their machine-learning tests and record results, received a patch...
New vulnerabilities found in industrial control systems of major vendors
The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has issued advisories on 49 vulnerabilities in eight industrial control systems (ICS)...
Mass Ransomware Attack
A vulnerability in a popular data transfer tool has resulted in a mass ransomware attack: TechCrunch has learned of dozens...