Apple’s upcoming iOS 17.4 iPhone update will bring a huge change for a subset of iPhone owners. For the first time, Apple is allowing users in Europe to download third-party app stores and install apps from sources other than the company’s official App Store.
But that change comes with some heavy security risks, as Apple highlights in a new white paper that outlines its plan for vetting these apps through a new procedure known as Notarization for iOS.
Apple is permitting third-party apps to be installed on the iPhone in Europe in order to comply with the European Union’s 2022 Digital Markets Act (DMA), which is meant to enforce fair and open competition in the tech sector. The company has also come under increased pressure to open iOS to alternate app stores in recent years following its high-profile legal battle with gaming giant Epic Games. The Fortnite maker sued Apple and Google over their respective app store policies that take up to a 30% from purchases made in apps and through their app marketplaces.
Read more: iOS 17.4 RC: Your iPhone Could Get These New Features Soon
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Apple has long argued that its App Store policies keep its users safe from malware and other digital threats. The new white paper reiterates that position while introducing guardrails meant to protect iPhone users downloading external apps, like the new Notarization for iOS vetting process.
The program uses automated and human reviews to check that third-party apps are “free of known malware and other security threats, generally functions as advertised, and doesn’t expose users to egregious fraud,” per the white paper’s description. The review also applies to every app update to prevent bad actors from slipping in malware later on. It’s an extension of the Notarization process Apple uses for its Mac software.
Notarization won’t be nearly as robust as the “nutrition label” of information in an App Store’s…
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