Apple's chief software engineer Craig Federighi testified in the ongoing Apple v. Epic Games trial, providing details about iPhone security to convince the judge that any change to App Store policies would be detrimental to iPhone users.
Epic Games wants the judge to force Apple to allow multiple app stores on iOS, similar to how it works on the Mac, which would allow users to install apps that have not been reviewed by Apple. During questioning, Federighi was asked why app stores on iOS should not work like they do on the Mac, where apps can be installed via the Mac App Store or from third-party sources. In response, Federighi stated that installing third-party apps on the Mac is often exploited negatively.
iOS set a dramatically higher bar for customer protection. The Mac does not meet that bar today.
He went on to explain that the level of malware on the Mac is not something that Apple considers acceptable and if iOS were to work similarly, it would be overrun with malware. This is especially dangerous as there are many more iOS devices - according to Federighi. Sideloading apps on iOS would "dramatically" change security on iOS.
Apple vs. Epic: “Android has a malware problem”
Human policy review could not be enforced because software could be downloaded directly. People could offer an unsafe app for sale and no one could detect it beforehand.
Federighi was also asked about previous statements that iOS and Android do not have significant security differences, which led him to point to a report from Nokia that said Android devices have 30 times more malware infections than iOS devices.
It is well known in the security community that Android has a malware problem that iOS has successfully outpaced.
At the end of this week, Apple CEO Tim Cook will also testify in the trial. Apple Fellow Phil Schiller, who is responsible for the App Store, spoke yesterday. Schiller focused on the inner workings of the App Store, the value of the App Store and the value of Apple's SDKs for developers. (Image: Apple)
