Apple CEO Tim Cook has challenged moves to regulate the company’s App Store in a speech in Washington on Tuesday, claiming that new rules could threaten the privacy of the Store’s users.

The company is reportedly under scrutiny over App Store policies. As a result, the EU is working on legislation that would force the company to allow apps to be installed from outside the Apple App Store, according to Tech Central.

“If we are forced to let unvetted apps onto iPhones, the unintended consequences will be profound,” Cook said.

“Data-hungry companies would be able to avoid our privacy rules and once again track our users against their will,” he added.

According to eNCA, this battle about the App Store policies comes after the company clashed in court with Fortnite creator Epic Games, which has been trying to break Apple’s grip on the App Store. Epic Games accused the iPhone maker of operating a monopoly in its shop for digital goods or services.

After the litigation proceedings, a federal judge ordered Apple to loosen control of its App Store payment options but said Epic had failed to prove that antitrust violations had taken place.

Apple argued any changes to its policies would take away consumer choice from iPhone users, adding that it would also change the iPhone to be more like the Android instead, according to reports.

“Proponents of these regulations argue that no harm would be done by simply giving people a choice, but taking away a more secure option will leave users with less choice, not more,” Cook said.

Some major tech companies including Spotify and Microsoft are reportedly in favour of opening up the App Store.


By Zintle Nkohla 

Follow Zintle Nkohla on Twitter

Follow IT News Africa on Twitter

Sign Up for Our Newsletters

Get notified of the best deals on our WordPress themes.

You May Also Like

UBA & Cellulant Join Forces to Unite Africa’s Payments Ecosystem

Nigeria’s United Bank for Africa (UBA), and Cellulant, a leading Pan-African payments company, have announced a partnership that will extend payment services for merchants and consumers across 19 key African…
View Post

South Africa’s Dis-Chem Takes a Swing at WhatsApp Commerce

Clickatell, a CPaaS innovator and Chat Commerce leader, has been selected by leading South African retailer, Dis-Chem Pharmacies, to enable WhatsApp as its customer communication channel to engage with its…
View Post

Vodacom & Accenture Join Forces for Bespoke Cybersecurity

South African telco Vodacom and Ireland-based IT services company Accenture have partnered to launch Vodacom Managed Security services through Vodacom Business. The partnership was publically announced yesterday via press release.…
View Post

TymeBank Launches Medical Insurance App for South Africans

TymeBank, the South Africa-based exclusively digital retail bank, has announced a new partnership with National HealthCare for affordable medical insurance to consumers, through the launch of TymeHealth, an app-based offering…
View Post

Towards a Stable & Sustainable Future with Power 4.0

A digital overhaul of the power and utilities sector – Power 4.0 – is delivering enhanced process efficiency, improved asset utilization, centralized visibility, better regulatory compliance, enhanced sustainability and stellar…
View Post

Nokia Kenya Dodges a $260,000 Fine in Service Centre Contract Feud

A Kenyan court has reportedly rejected a petition filed by Kenyan dealer TechnoService which is seeking Sh150-million ($257,832.60) from cellphone manufacturer Nokia for allegedly selling some of its businesses to…
View Post