Brazil becomes the latest country to force Apple to allow sideloading

  • Apple now has 90 days to allow sideloading in Brazil following a court order
  • They plan to appeal, but have already had to comply with similar rulings in other countries
  • This change would allow users to load apps directly onto their phones, similar to APKs on Android

Apple has been given a deadline of 90 days to allow for “sideloading” (installing apps from outside the App Store) on their devices in Brazil, as per a recent court ruling. This is because they are already doing this in compliance with similar rulings in other countries.

Indeed, Apple is poised to attract attention. For those unaware, sideloading refers to the capability to download and install applications without relying on a traditional app store. For quite some time now, Android users have enjoyed this feature by utilizing APKs to directly install third-party apps onto their devices.

For quite some time now, I’ve been a staunch advocate for third-party storefronts, much like many others. However, Apple has consistently shown resistance towards this idea. That all changed when Epic filed a lawsuit against Apple over five years ago. This legal battle shed light on Apple’s methods of managing their ecosystem, making it an issue that I and many others have been discussing ever since.


Peekaboo

Apple’s primary objection to the ruling revolves around privacy concerns, a consistent theme in their discussions regarding sideloading, third-party storefronts, among other topics. As far back as 2022, Apple made waves in the gaming industry with their ATT updates, which necessitated developer consent for advertising and limited user profile assignments; these changes have attracted regulatory attention, given that they were exempted from such restrictions.

Nevertheless, despite Apple’s efforts towards privacy, they are facing criticism and appear to be struggling against the tide of sideloading, third-party marketplaces, and other changes. In countries such as Vietnam and across the EU, it seems that Apple’s days of being considered a pristine, unblemished entity may soon be numbered.

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2025-03-07 17:43