Ahead of another House Judiciary Committee hearing on antitrust legislation scheduled for Wednesday, Apple has published its full letter explaining how the proposed legislation as written would undermine the security of the iPhone and App Store. The letter is addressed to Chairmen Jerome Nadler and David Cicilline, and Ranking Members Jim Jordan and Ken Buck and is signed by Timothy Powderly, Apple’s senior director of government affairs.
In the letter, Apple says that the five pieces of proposed antitrust legislation would “undermine consumers’ ability to choose products that offer state-of-the-art Privacy and Security.” Apple explains that Congress should not mandate that smartphones be “one-size-fits all” and that Apple offers an experience with the iPhone that is “uniquely suited to those who don’t want to balance risk every time they download an app.”
Apple goes on to write that the proposed legislation would make it “easier for criminal actors to put iPhone users at risk,” something that comes as cyberattacks are already “on the rise.”
Apple concludes that it is willing to engage with the House Judiciary Committee going forward on potential legislation, but that the “current proposals would harm consumer privacy, device security, and innovation.”
MacDailyNews Note: Apple’s full letter: