More Choice, More Risk: The Case Against Forced Sideloading
It was reported that around 200 users recently fell victim to a fake WhatsApp spoof app loaded with malware. Asigint, an Italian subsidiary of spyware company SIO, allegedly created this counterfeit version of WhatsApp. This incident serves as yet another example of the dangers that can arise from installing apps from third-party sources.
This incident highlights the problem with sideloading, the practice of downloading apps from unofficial app stores. It provides users access to apps that may not be available in official stores or allows for modified or customized versions. In some cases, users can bypass regional restrictions. However, this convenience comes with serious risks, as it makes devices vulnerable to malicious apps that can install malware, spyware, or ransomware.
Proposed legislation such as the American Innovation and Choice Online Act (AICOA), created under the guise of promoting competition, would effectively prevent operating systems from preventing sideloading, increasing the likelihood that apps from unverified sources are installed on users’ devices.
Users must understand the dangers associated with sideloading. Though bypassing app stores may seem convenient, it comes with significant risks. Malicious apps can steal personal information, compromise sensitive files, or even take control of devices without the user realizing it. Of course, if users choose to accept the risks, they should be free to sideload. But, government bureaucrats should not mandate sideloading and users who prefer the safety of operating systems like Apple shouldn’t have those safer options taken away.
Lawmakers in recent years have used the goal of expanding competition to justify all manner of bad policy. Cybersecurity should not become a casualty of an interventionist regulatory agenda.
Published on April 7, 2026