This is a big mistake. In the thread below, you can find a detailed breakdown of the privacy and security risks arising from the interoperability changes required by the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), especially relating to Apple’s ecosystem.
https://twitter.com/EU_Commission/status/1902390152938373177
1. Increased Attack Surface
Allowing third-party access to core connectivity features such as NFC, Wi-Fi pairing, notifications, and device setup processes inherently expands potential entry points for attacks.
Allowing third-party access to core connectivity features such as NFC, Wi-Fi pairing, notifications, and device setup processes inherently expands potential entry points for attacks.
Risks:
Unauthorized access: Hackers may exploit introduced entry points, potentially gaining access to sensitive data or device controls.
Man-in-the-middle attacks: Increased reliance on open or third-party channels makes interception + manipulation of communications more likely.
Unauthorized access: Hackers may exploit introduced entry points, potentially gaining access to sensitive data or device controls.
Man-in-the-middle attacks: Increased reliance on open or third-party channels makes interception + manipulation of communications more likely.
2. Weakening of Apple’s Secure Design (“Security by Design”)
Apple’s security model is built upon strict integration between hardware, software, and encryption protocols.
DMA measures require Apple to expose certain core systems, undermining these security protocols.
Apple’s security model is built upon strict integration between hardware, software, and encryption protocols.
DMA measures require Apple to expose certain core systems, undermining these security protocols.
Risks:
Data leaks: Increased likelihood of sensitive data leaks due to third-party implementation mistakes, weak encryption, or subpar security practices.
Reduced endpoint integrity: Malicious or poorly implemented third-party software could compromise device integrity.
Data leaks: Increased likelihood of sensitive data leaks due to third-party implementation mistakes, weak encryption, or subpar security practices.
Reduced endpoint integrity: Malicious or poorly implemented third-party software could compromise device integrity.
3. Risks Related to Third-party Implementations:
Even if Apple follows best practices, the security and privacy of the system depend heavily on how securely third parties implement their interactions with Apple’s hardware and software. That's just how interoperability works.
Even if Apple follows best practices, the security and privacy of the system depend heavily on how securely third parties implement their interactions with Apple’s hardware and software. That's just how interoperability works.
Risks:
Inconsistent security practices: Third parties may not adhere to rigorous security standards or best practices, thus compromising overall security.
>
Inconsistent security practices: Third parties may not adhere to rigorous security standards or best practices, thus compromising overall security.
>
<
Lower standards compliance: Smaller or inexperienced companies may lack resources or expertise to consistently maintain security patches or encryption standards, inadvertently endangering users.
Lower standards compliance: Smaller or inexperienced companies may lack resources or expertise to consistently maintain security patches or encryption standards, inadvertently endangering users.
4. Challenges in Maintaining E2E Encryption:
Opening encrypted channels to third parties means Apple might no longer be able to guarantee end-to-end encryption in all scenarios.
Apple may need to adjust its encryption schemes to accommodate interoperability, aka. weakening them.
Opening encrypted channels to third parties means Apple might no longer be able to guarantee end-to-end encryption in all scenarios.
Apple may need to adjust its encryption schemes to accommodate interoperability, aka. weakening them.
Risks:
Decreased confidentiality: Users may unintentionally expose personal or sensitive data transmitted through channels previously secured end-to-end.
Potential encryption backdoors: Third-party software introduces vulnerabilities or backdoors intentionally or unintentionally.
Decreased confidentiality: Users may unintentionally expose personal or sensitive data transmitted through channels previously secured end-to-end.
Potential encryption backdoors: Third-party software introduces vulnerabilities or backdoors intentionally or unintentionally.
5. Regulatory Complexity
Enforcing strict compliance and auditing a wide range of third-party devices + apps creates big complexities.
Apple must navigate compliance while safeguarding data privacy, introducing conflicts between regulatory demands and optimal security practices.
Enforcing strict compliance and auditing a wide range of third-party devices + apps creates big complexities.
Apple must navigate compliance while safeguarding data privacy, introducing conflicts between regulatory demands and optimal security practices.
Risks:
Audit difficulties: Apple’s ability to monitor / ensure third-party compliance may be limited, leading to delayed responses to threats.
Delayed patching: Ensuring security updates reach third-party devices timely becomes more challenging, leaving users vulnerable.
Audit difficulties: Apple’s ability to monitor / ensure third-party compliance may be limited, leading to delayed responses to threats.
Delayed patching: Ensuring security updates reach third-party devices timely becomes more challenging, leaving users vulnerable.
6. User Confusion and Social Engineering Risks
Users accustomed to Apple’s secure ecosystem may not clearly distinguish between secure first-party interactions and potentially less secure third-party integrations.
Users accustomed to Apple’s secure ecosystem may not clearly distinguish between secure first-party interactions and potentially less secure third-party integrations.
Risks:
Phishing and social engineering: Increased confusion about which third-party devices or apps are secure could leave users vulnerable to phishing attacks or malicious software.
>
Phishing and social engineering: Increased confusion about which third-party devices or apps are secure could leave users vulnerable to phishing attacks or malicious software.
>
<
Reduced trust: Users may lose confidence in the overall security of Apple’s ecosystem, potentially leading to less secure user behaviors (e.g., ignoring security warnings).
Reduced trust: Users may lose confidence in the overall security of Apple’s ecosystem, potentially leading to less secure user behaviors (e.g., ignoring security warnings).
7. Erosion of Accountability and Liability
Interoperability complicates accountability: when privacy or security breaches occur, it might be unclear whether Apple or third-party entities are responsible.
Interoperability complicates accountability: when privacy or security breaches occur, it might be unclear whether Apple or third-party entities are responsible.
Risks:
Reduced clarity in incident responses: Complexity in accountability could lead to delays in addressing breaches, prolonging harm.
Legal ambiguity: Ambiguous responsibility for breaches can lead to disputes that delay remediation or compensation for affected users.
Reduced clarity in incident responses: Complexity in accountability could lead to delays in addressing breaches, prolonging harm.
Legal ambiguity: Ambiguous responsibility for breaches can lead to disputes that delay remediation or compensation for affected users.
I can go on all night. The point is, this is bad news in a long streak of attacks on privacy in Europe. I will help @VOLKRING write a complaint against the Commission for their reckless and complete disregard for EU citizens' privacy.
Claiming “The measures ensure that this innovation takes place in full respect of users’ privacy and security as well as the integrity of Apple’s operating systems.” without providing any supporting argument, shows the Commission's low regard for privacy and concerned EU citizens
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
