Apple Warns Senate Legislation Would Reduce its User Privacy Measures

Apple has told lawmakers that proposed legislation to govern the nation’s leading tech companies would diminish a privacy protection feature it introduced last year.

In a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, Apple said its recent privacy policy changes are working.

The letter comes as the panel is scheduled to debate the American Innovation and Choice Online Act on Thursday (Jan. 20). Proponents say it was crafted to stop dominant platforms from discriminating against competitors by preferencing their own offerings over others.

Last summer, the House Judiciary Committee ratified legislation designed to reduce the market dominance of large technology companies.

Read more: Big Tech 6-Pack Of Antitrust Regulation Moves Forward In Congress

The correspondence said the proposal would expose users to security threats by allowing software onto iPhone users’ devices without being vetted.

Apple has said congressional efforts to prevent it from prohibiting “sideloading,” the term used to describe downloading software onto its iPhones outside of the App Store’s protections, would put users at risk to security threats.

Apple argued that the proposed legislation would benefit “those who have been irresponsible with users’ data” and who have lobbied against App Tracking Transparency (ATT).  The feature was recently implemented and requires third-party apps to seek users’ consent to track their online activities.

“The response to ATT from consumers has been overwhelmingly positive, but some of the largest social media and advertising companies have very publicly complained about the impact of these new privacy protections on their profits,” wrote Timothy Powderly, an Apple lobbyist.

But a spokeswoman for U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) told the news organization that Apple’s letter is misleading.

“All of Apple’s arguments about ‘sideloading’ really amount to a desperate attempt to preserve their app store monopoly, which they use to charge huge fees from businesses they are competing against,” the statement said. “Let’s be clear: This multitrillion-dollar company is more than capable of protecting privacy and security while still giving consumers greater choice by allowing competition.”