Apple iPhone open sideload? The U.S. Senate panel has approved the bill and will vote on it

According to the Wall Street Journal, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee today approved the U.S. Innovation and Choice Online Act, which means it will now go to the Senate vote.

The bill was first introduced last summer, and if the current version is passed, Apple will need to make significant changes to the App Store. It aims to prevent "dominant platforms" from "abusing their gatekeeper power" by favoring their own products and services.

The bill would require Apple to enable sideloading, where iPhone and iPad users can use sideloading to install apps using a third-party channel instead of the App Store. Earlier this week, Timothy Powderly, Apple's senior director of government affairs, said implementing such changes would expose consumers to "malware, ransomware and scams."

According to Apple, sideloading will be "harder" to protect the privacy and security of individual devices in the United States, thereby "undermining competition and hindering innovation."

Apple urged the Senate Judiciary Committee not to approve the bill, but it has now been determined that it will move forward. Several senators said they wanted to see changes in implementation before voting for the measure.

However, Sen. Dianne Feinstein criticized the bill and said it targeted "a small number of specific companies," and Sen. Alex Padilla said it was "difficult to see the legitimacy of a bill that regulates the behavior of only a few companies while allowing others to continue to engage in the exact same behavior." ”

It is understood that the bill specifically targets Apple, Google, Facebook and Amazon, but the amendment will also include TikTok, among others. The Senate Judiciary Committee will also soon hear other bills targeting tech companies.