Apple’s Cook says circumventing App Store would harm user privacy

Apple has lobbied hard against app store regulations, arguing that they would make the iPhone ecosystem more similar to Android, limiting consumer choice and privacy. — AFP

Apple Inc Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said that proposed app store regulations in the US and European Union would put iPhone users’ privacy at risk.

"If we are forced to let unvetted apps onto iPhones, the unintended consequences will be profound,” Cook said during a keynote address at the Global Privacy Summit on Tuesday in Washington. "Data-hungry companies would be able to avoid our privacy rules and once again track our users against their will.”