Tim Cook Delivers Speech Emphasizing Apple's Opposition to Sideloading

[StupidOpinion]

i completely agree with tim cook because i am heavily invested in apple and sideloading will hurt my bank account.

 

[Wildkraut]

A bunch of platitudes … everyone is a crook but us when it comes to privacy, danger danger … therefore give us control over all your devices and digital businesses. We are the next gen gov … Imagine this deep into the enterprises workstations, hospitals, schools, banks …. it Will never happen.

Just the thought that Apple is pushing for such an unilateral control while playing with peoples concerns of not fears privacy gives me the chills.

They have a perfectly good approach with macOS.

Yep, it’s the goverment’s job to define whats right or wrong and fight to protect citizens privacy, not Apple’s, and set privacy laws and rules that everyone must follow. Apple is just being anticompetitive. He knows this crap will inevitably end soon, thats why he is preaching that nonsense.

 

[JM]

What a fascinating collection of responses and thoughts.

It’s not all black and white.

Mr. Cook is human too, and doing the best he can.

-written from the un-freaking-believable little pocket computer that Apple perfected.

It’s been about 20 years since anyone knew what any pocket internet computer was like.

Wow. Amazing.

 

[dk001]

I think he's right. iOS users want privacy and security, even if they don't fully understand what that means on a technical level. Apple wants to give that privacy and security to users, and the way they've done that is great so far.

I've asked a few people who are more tech-oriented about sideloading on iOS, and no one can tell me a single app they want to see that the App Store can't provide. It's like people want "control" without knowing what they'll actually control when given the choice.

You need to ask a different group of people.
The general iOS user doesn't know what sideloading looks like on iOS. At this stage even those of us who are failiar with Android side-loading doesn't know what an Apple solution would look like.

As for what apps, at this time most folks don't know what is out there or could possible be out there. Someone who Jailbreaks likely does or has a basic concept. If or when sideloading (or alternative app stores) become available for iOS/iPadOS, then we will see apps become available. Emulators are one area of potential growth.

 

[usagora]

Well, in this case the device is tied to the OS, which renders the device unusable if you don’t further accept the OS agreement updates.

Doesn't matter - you still don't own the OS just because you own the device. You can use your iPhone as a paperweight if you'd like, sell it for a profit, etc. but you aren't entitled a say in what the OS can/can't do. If people don't like that, then they can tap on disagree/cancel on the licensing agreement and return their phone for a refund

 

[jicon]

Anti-choice once again to further profit. I was watching an interesting concept of replacing storage memory on the pricey Mac Studios, as there's a second connection slot, and noticing the extra slot is just a fabrication, unless you buy the storage right from Apple directly.

 

[jonblatho]

Yes, there is a degree of automation in code scanning, but as you stated, it can be fooled, just like a human can. But that is the nature of this cat and mouse game. The only difference is that with Apple there is a sense or semblance of control where as side-loaded apps can do as they please as there is no one watching or mediating them.

App review is a joke, frankly. I’ve had app updates enter review and be cleared for sale in under 10 minutes. I never had the tracking infrastructure in place to see if they had even opened the app during their “review,” but I do wonder sometimes.

That control is what allowed Apple to pull the Fortnite when it was doing unauthorized dealings. Not to mention the iPhone app kill switch that as of today, Apple has never once used. An app in the wild that can be side loaded? Good luck stopping that.

That has nothing to do with the App Store, though. This functionality also exists on macOS and, importantly, includes non-App Store apps.

 

[Wildkraut]

Doesn't' matter - you still don't own the OS just because you own the device. You can use your iPhone as a paperweight if you'd like, sell it for a profit, etc. but you aren't entitled a say in what the OS can/can't do. If people don't like that, then they can tap on disagree/cancel on the licensing agreement and return their phone for a refund

This will also be tackled by the EU, just like side loading, stay tuned.

 

[planteater]

There is no difference. That's the big flaw in the spin.

The Apple-managed Mac App Store exists and is stocked with many Mac apps. Users motivated to only trust Apple can get most apps they desire from the Mac App Store. However, Mac owners can also buy apps directly from the developers, download and install them, essentially bypassing Apple entirely. And Mac owners can buy a bundle of many Mac apps in various bundle deals for dirt cheap, also bypassing Apple entirely.

Does the flexibility to buy Mac apps from sources other than the Apple Mac App Store result in all Macs everywhere being destroyed by viruses, trojans and all manner of evil doing? No.

Is there SOME instances of sourcing apps from the wrong places resulting in Macs getting compromised? Yes. But that's on the owners of those Macs choosing to acquire the infected app however they choose to acquire it. Anyone worried about such things should acquire from the Mac store and/or directly from trustworthy Apple developers.

Allowing such options means that some people will end up getting some bad software on their iDevices... just as some Macs end up with bad software on Macs. However, it's not any kind of global calamity in which ALL iDevices everywhere would become infected/compromised. Those most passionately in favor of preserving the "as is" could continue to exclusively buy/acquire/download apps only from the Apple App Store. Their devices would continue to work as they do now and their mix of apps could remain as secure as they feel they are now. Assuming they would continue to only acquire iDevice apps from the one source means their passionate arguments are inconsequential to themselves and are mostly about denying what other iDevice owners might want to do in terms of acquiring apps for their iDevices.

Those who choose to acquire apps from other sources take the same kind of risk that Mac owners take when acquiring Mac apps from sources other than the Mac App Store. For those who acquire a nefarious app, they will suffer the consequences, (hopefully) learn from it, and perhaps make better software buying decisions in the future.

For many/most, whether buying from the Apple Mac App Store or direct from third parties results in the SAME deliverable and no real consequences. IMO, this is overwhelmingly about protecting a cash cow. If utter devastation would come from "giving some people what they want," Apple could prove the potential extinction event by opening this door in ONE place. For example, the Netherlands are fining Apple $5M/month. Set it up there and prove how terrible it would be to the rest of the world. Apple could deflect all blame for what follows behind being "forced" by law to comply... that fines made them open up Pandora's box for those people.

If it is as devastating as spun:

1. the Netherlands will have all of their devices compromised beyond salvation,
2. the rest of the world wanting similar will learn by tangible example and back off of the request/demand and
3. Apple can make an unexpected fortune selling replacement devices to the people who survive this utter devastation in the Netherlands.

But we Mac people able to "think different" and already having the flexibility to buy Mac apps from anywhere already know the likely outcome first hand.

You sure took a long time to spin that false argument.

macOS and iOS can’t be compared in the simplistic light that you attempted. macOS is a full fledged operating system with a full array of tools that a user can use protect its integrity. iOS doesn’t have that capability and never will. But pointing that out would have destroyed your argument, so you conveniently left it out.

 

[jonblatho]

macOS and iOS can’t be compared in the simplistic light that you attempted. macOS is a full fledged operating system with a full array of tools that a user can use protect its integrity. iOS doesn’t have that capability and never will. But pointing that out would have destroyed your argument, so you conveniently left it out.

…iOS has a lot of that “full array of tools” switched on by Apple with no off switch.

 

[usagora]

This will also be tackled by the EU, just like side loading, stay tuned.

I'm sure they'll try, and I'm sure Apple will refuse to cave. Governments need to stay out of this. Absolutely ridiculous. Users already have a choice to look elsewhere besides iPhone.

 

[Sir_Macs_A_Lot]

Tim's "serious" pics are always funny. It's like he's trying to do his best Steve Jobs impression and failing miserably.

It reminds me of the Ian Malcolm line to Peter Ludlow in Jurassic Park: The Lost World, "When you try to sound like Hammond, it comes off as a hustle."

 

[planteater]

For now, Apples plan is to eventually not allow any tracking, if a user doesn't want it. And that scares companies that need that tracking for profits, so the send out their lobbyists, and now the government cares.

It’s not that the government just wants to protect the corporations, they want the fruit of that tracking as well.

 

[planteater]

…iOS has a lot of that “full array of tools” switched on by Apple with no off switch.

I have no visibility to it. I do on macOS.

 

[Nuno Lopes]

It’s been about 20 years since anyone knew what any pocket internet computer was like.

By anyone you mean caveman.

PS: The iPhone really took pocket computing on a leap with its touch centric UI and smooth response. I jumped on board in the second iteration and never left. Yet my know how leads me to understand that other areas of human endeavour also progressed tremendously ... take the Internet for instance ... amazing ... without with Apple would be a dead duck, but also take in medicine .... Yet no one butApple tried to control the global economics of third party businesses as well as peoples devices as much ... by a long mile. The ones that tried ... like Microsoft ... where stopped on the rails for much less.

 

[bluecoast]

I don't know why Tim Cook is bothering as legislators in both the US and the EU aren't convinced.

Perhaps he thinks that regular people will hear his words and be spooked by them ?‍♂️

 

[BootsWalking]

I support Apple‘s side here 100%.
”Competition” for who can sell more of your private data doesn't need to be defended.
Forcing iOS to become as dodgy and scammy as Android doesn’t benefit anyone: if you want the perks of a more open system and are happy with the risks, there is already Android for you. Forcing everyone to act the same is not competition.

Here's a napkin - you have a bit of Kool Aid at the side of your mouth.

 

[Zdigital2015]

I’d like to side load a new CEO who is a products guy. Tim Cook disgusts me.

By “Products Guy”, you mean some rube who will put more USB-A ports, removable DRAM and nVME slots on a Mac tower for $1000 so you can buy the cheapest model Apple sells and install your own New Egg “Shell Shocker” crap products in the box and then bitch about macOS when things don’t run the way you think they should? That “Products Guy”? Or will this rube also make Apple move back to Intel CPUs as well and NVIDIA GPUs, so Apple can be just another PC OEM?! No thanks. Why don’t you go buy a Windows PC and go comment on Wccftech.

 

[Zdigital2015]

Tim is such a phony. Pretends to care about iPhone user privacy but is completely fine letting iOS users private messages fallback to unsecure and dated SMS rather then just releasing iMessage for android and windows. He loves to make a stance that “privacy is a fundamental right for EVERY person*“, you know *as long as that person is buying apple products.

With all the messaging apps that are cross platform, why do you care that Messages doesn’t exist on Android or Windows? Because those solutions are crap, amIright?

 

[nastysailboat]

They're just digging their heels in, instead of facing the fact that the monopoly they've had over app distribution is coming to an end.

It's all about the benjamins, nothing else.

Apple is still free to operate the App Store, charge the fees they charge for the developers that are happy with the agreement. And people are free to still only use the App store if they want to maintain the highest level of security and privacy.

The rest just want a simple choice. Apple can still be a part of making that choice safer.

Apple does not have a monopoly.

 

[nastysailboat]

With all the messaging apps that are cross platform, why do you care that Messages doesn’t exist on Android or Windows? Because those solutions are crap, amIright?

So get Android to change not apple.

 

[sunny5]

Then provide better supports for mobile apps on macOS. How come almost nobody is interested to port mobile apps to Mac properly especially major mobile apps?

 

[gene731]

I am not a fan of sideloading, mostly because it's not something many less-experienced phone users want to deal with. Now, multiple app stores that operate under a common security framework, that's a different story.

(I should emphasize "less-experienced users." We posting here on MacRumors forums aren't that crowd (in general).

Oh I’d say I’m in that crowd. Lots of you people could run circles around me and anyway I’m in my late 50’s now so I probably don’t care/pay attention like I once used to but also being diagnosed with terminal cancer and as that is slowly but surely killing me, that plus all the pain medications I’m on I don’t think as well. Anyway all of my friends that have iPhones and us generalizing sitting around over the years, not one of us has ever got into a debate over side loading. No that doesn’t make us right or anyone else wrong, we just have better things to worry and do than zoo worry about, to us, has zero consequences.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Love my Apple devices, but these guys need to be forced by regulation at this point.

The digging their heels into a bad position has just become ridiculous

 

[SactoGuy18]

Love my Apple devices, but these guys need to be forced by regulation at this point.

The digging their heels into a bad position has just become ridiculous

I still say a common security framework for multiple app stores is the best solution. The same applies for Android, too.