Back in April, Apple CEO Tim Cook said sideloading apps is a terrible idea, as it would apparently break the iPhone’s security and privacy. The European Union essentially thinks that argument is a load of bull.

On July 2, Margrethe Vestager, the executive vice president and antitrust chief of the European Commission, warned Apple to stop using privacy and security as its excuse for blocking users from installing apps obtained outside its official app store.

Vestager said in a Reuters interview that while she acknowledges the importance of security and privacy, she thinks consumers would not give those up should they decide to sideload.

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In 2020, Vestager also proposed the Digital Markets Act. If enacted, Apple would be forced to allow side-loading in EU countries. Other gatekeeping companies such as Google, Amazon, and Facebook are also targeted by the DMA.

Game publisher Epic Games and third-party app store Cydia previously filed lawsuits against Apple for its anticompetitive behavior.

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