FCC considers Kaspersky a security threat, Apple is rumoured to be working on a subscription plan for iPhones, and a new EU legislation could force Apple to allow sideloading.
 |
 |
 |
That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now, welcome to Hashtag Trending. It’s Monday, March 28, and I’m your host, Tom Li.
The Federal Communications Commission has put Russia-based cybersecurity company Kaspersky on a threat list. By being on the list, Kaspersky products can no longer be purchased using the FCC’s Universal Service Fund. Although the U.S. declared that Kaspersky poses “unacceptable risks” to national security, Kaspersky denied that it has any ties to the Russian government, and invited the critics to evaluate its products based on technical merits. With this decision, Kaspersky is the first Russian company to be added to the security threat list. Other companies on the list include Chinese telecom giants China Mobile, China Telecom.
Source: Ars Technica
Apple is supposedly working on a subscription plan for iPhones, according to Bloomberg. The new subscription service may see users paying a monthly fee for an iPhone and Apple’s other services. Details are scant around this plan since it’s unconfirmed, but Bloomberg expects the service to launch as early as this year. We can turn to Google’s Pixel Pass for a potential structure. With the Pixel pass, users pay a monthly fee to get access to Google’s latest phone every two years, as well as expanded cloud storage and YouTube Premium. Apple’s strategy maybe something similar, but we’ll have to wait to find out.
Source: Bloomberg
Ne w legislation by the European Union could force Apple to open up its iPhones to sideloading, or installing apps not available in the Apple Store. Under the Digital Market Act, users could freely load mobile apps from all sources by moving them onto the phone. This poses some issues for Apple. Security aside, bypassing the Apple Store prevents the company from collecting royalties from the apps. For now, though, Apple seems to be most worried about the security part. According to Apple’s CEO Tim Cook, sideloading could “destroy the security of the iPhone.” Some people argued that sideloading is no different from installing third-party apps on a Mac computer, and strongly advocated for more choice. The DMA has not yet passed as an official law but it’s expected to as early as October, reported The Verge.
Source: The Verge
Ever heard of Island? Yeah, me neither until I wrote this podcast. This new privacy-focused internet browser company emerged just weeks ago and already has a one billion dollar valuation. According to TechCrunch, Island’s key product is its Enterprise Browser based on Google’s open-source Chromium browser. The company said that most consumer browsers are woefully inadequate for enterprise settings. IT admins need to constantly maintain the browsers’ flaws to meet security requirements. As its name implies, the Enterprise Browser targets security-sensitive conditions and prevents data leaks. In addition to extended safety features, the browser can also be easily controlled by admins to stop risky actions, such as data uploads.
Source: TechRadar
That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now. Hashtag Trending is a part of the ITWC Podcast network. Add us to your Alexa Flash briefings or your Google Home daily briefing. Make sure to sign up for our Daily IT Wire newsletter to get all the news that matters directly in your inbox every day. Also, catch the next episode of Hashtag Tendances, our weekly Hashtag Trending episode in French, which drops every Thursday morning. If you have a suggestion or a tip, drop us a line in the comments or via email. Thank you for listening, I’m Tom Li.