diff --git a/blog/posts/ios-vs-android.md b/blog/posts/ios-vs-android.md index 21a13752..be23af0a 100644 --- a/blog/posts/ios-vs-android.md +++ b/blog/posts/ios-vs-android.md @@ -128,6 +128,8 @@ Android and iOS have very different approaches in terms of downloading and acqui iOS restricts app downloads to their own App Store. Apple claims this is for security purposes, but it restricts user freedom and makes it possible for Apple to [censor](https://9to5mac.com/2024/09/28/apple-cooperating-with-russia-to-remove-vpn-apps-from-app-store) apps in certain regions. +Apple has a [whitepaper](https://www.apple.com/privacy/docs/Building_a_Trusted_Ecosystem_for_Millions_of_Apps.pdf) explaining why they believe restricting to just the App Store is the best approach to security. Unfortuantely, malicious and fruadulent apps [bypass](https://techcrunch.com/2025/10/09/sora-copycats-flooded-apples-app-store-and-some-still-remain/) Apple's App Store review regularly. Automated and human review can only do so much against an onslaught of malicious apps, so I think that a better approach is to design the system to disallow apps from having access to as much as possible and providing users with highly secure devices to prevent malware as much as possible. + The App Store does enforce certain [security](https://support.apple.com/guide/security/about-app-store-security-secb8f887a15/1/web/1) properties, mainly through the App Review process. This process can't catch everything though, and [malware](https://securelist.com/sparkcat-stealer-in-app-store-and-google-play/115385) still slips through the cracks. The lack of third-party app store support means that it's not possible to use an app store with better security properties than the Apple App Store. For example, apps in the App Store have Apple's DRM, which makes reproducible builds [impossible](https://github.com/signalapp/Signal-iOS/issues/641#:~:text=So%20while%20truly%20reproducible%20builds%20are%20not%20possible). If one wanted to use an app store without this security regression, they'd be out of luck.