New UK Laws Want Apple to State for How Long iPhones Will Receive Security Updates
Apr. 30, 2024The UK enforces new cybersecurity laws to protect consumers and businesses from hacking and cyber-attacks. According to these British laws, smart device manufacturers like Apple must maintain minimum security standards to safeguard internet-connected devices against cyber criminals. Otherwise, they will have to face hefty penalties.
The legislation, known as theProduct Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (PSTI) Act, introduces a series of robust measurements and improved security protections to make it harder for cybercriminals to access private networks and steal personal information.
The British cybersecurity law specifically targets the inadequacies in current security measures and it mandates the following three changes to tackle the threat of cybercrime.
These UK cybersecurity laws apply to all companies manufacturing or selling phones, TVs, smart doorbells, and other smart devices in the UK.
Talking about Apple, the new rule requires it to review how its products comply with these enhanced standards. Although Apple devices do not employ default passwords, the company must guarantee thatall connected devices sold in the UK clearly convey the duration of security support updates to customers. In addition to these requirements, the impacted companies must set up or improve their contact channels for reporting security issues.
Moving on, Apple store retailers have to provide customers with point-of-sale details regarding the cybersecurity measures that are relevant to the devices they buy. In case of any non-compliance, the PSTI Act has some strict penalties and fines that can reach up to £10 million (approx $12.5 million USD) or 4% of the company’s global turnover.
Well, it seems this is the year when Apple has to make some big changes to its operating systems, App Store policies, and whatnot. Recently, it made several changes to iOS and App Store likesupport for third-party marketplaces, and launched severalEU-exclusive features.Now, theEU has identified iPadOS as a digital gatekeeper. So, Apple will have to overhaul a lot of things to avoid a massive lawsuit.
