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In context: In 2011, Phil Schiller told other Apple executives that the company would one day have to adjust the App Store revenue allocation and insisted that a solution be found before it turned into a struggle. fierce against external pressures. Ten years later, the company is trying to get out of a situation it could have avoided, in which developers and regulators are pushing for it to allow apps to be downloaded on iOS devices.
The App Store is a money-printing machine that generated $ 643 billion in sales last year, which is why Apple takes every opportunity to tout its role in creating a people-based economy. applications that will soon reach $ 1 trillion per year. The company explained during the Epic Games lawsuit that it was wrongly accused of controlling the App Store and not making as much money as you might think.
Epic’s lawsuit against Apple may not have succeeded in bringing Fortnite back to iOS, but it has already been launched into public debate over the Cupertino giant’s insistence on making the App Store the one and only. way for users to download apps on iPhone and iPad. Regulators in the US and the EU are carefully reviewing large tech companies and are preparing a new set of antitrust rules that could see the tech industry change dramatically over the next few years.
Today, Apple unveiled a 16-page report titled “Building an Ecosystem of Trust for Millions of Apps,” in which it tries to justify why the App Store works the way it does and the impact that loading of applications would have on security and users. privacy protections that are currently in place.
Apple argues that allowing sideloading would open up over a billion iOS users to serious security risks, as malicious actors would have a strong incentive to exploit this new avenue to scam users or install malware on their phones. . The company says the strict App Store review process coupled with built-in iOS protections like running apps in a sandbox is the reason iOS users see 47 times less software. malicious in nature as Android users.
The timing of the report is interesting, as lawmakers are currently debating five antitrust bills that target tech giants like Amazon, Google, Apple and Facebook.
Google, Facebook and Amazon on Tuesday released statements warning of “significant negative effects” on consumers and small and medium-sized businesses, from price hikes to degrading services many depend on to earn income. Google also believes the new bills have the potential to “undermine the technological leadership of the United States.”
Apple has not commented on the bills, but industry groups backed by and other tech and media companies have expressed concerns about the acceleration of proposed antitrust legislation. The Cupertino giant is lobbying aggressively against the bills, however, as Apple CEO Tim Cook personally called President Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday to warn her that they have the potential to seriously disrupt the iPhone . Cook is also expected to have a virtual meeting with European competition chief Margrethe Vestager today.
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