NEW SIDELOADING WARNING

Apple is making the case in a new white paper on Wednesday for why it says device downloads should not be allowed from outside of its App Store.

In this case, it is making the argument against “sideloading” as both European Union regulators and American lawmakers consider forcing Apple to allow it.

Sideloading refers to the process of downloading applications onto a device from anywhere other than the manufacturer’s proprietary store. That could mean downloading apps from third-party stores or directly from web browsers.

“If Apple were forced to support sideloading, more harmful apps would reach users because it would be easier for cybercriminals to target them – even if sideloading were limited to third-party app stores only,” Wednesday’s paper from Apple reads.

Critics have argued that Apple’s walled-garden approach to its devices gives it a stranglehold over app developers that it can exploit to charge exorbitant fees.