The new proposed technology rules in European Union are set to adversely impact the expansion plans of technology giant Apple. According to Apple boss Tim Cook, the proposed European rules aimed at curbing the power of US tech giants, and pose security and privacy risks to iPhones.
Cook, while reacting over the new Digital Markets Act (DMA) proposed by EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager, said parts were good but others were not. He said he feared the draft rules would lead to more installing of apps that do not come via Apple’s App Store, or “side-loading”.
“You take an example here where I don’t think it’s in the best interest (of the user): the current DMA language that is being discussed would force side-loading on the iPhone,” the Apple CEO, said at VivaTech, France’s biggest tech conference.
“And so this would be an ultimate way of getting apps onto the iPhone,” he said. “It would destroy the security of the iPhone, and a lot of the privacy initiatives that we’ve built into the App Store or the privacy intrusion labels and app-tracking transparency,” Cook added.
Earlier this month, EU lawmaker Andreas Schwab, who is leading the European Parliament scrutiny of the draft rules, said he wanted to beef up the legislation and narrow its scope to just big companies like Google, Amazon, Apple and Facebook. Apple would take part in the debate and try to find a way forward, Cook said.
