In November 2022, a new law came into force in the European Union, which obliges manufacturers to provide users with access to third-party app stores and allow downloading installers from the Internet.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman confirmed that Apple will comply with the law and make changes to iOS 17 accordingly. The company will allow apps hosted outside of the App Store to be installed.
According to Gurman, Apple plans to implement external download support in accordance with the new European regulations by next year.
Previously, Apple and specifically Tim Cook have repeatedly criticized the new law. They argued that if it went into effect, it would “undermine the privacy and security protections” that iPhone users rely on, leaving people vulnerable to malware, fraud, data tracking and other issues. However, Cupertino residents are required to comply with it, otherwise they face a fine of 20% of their income. [MacRumors]
