(Bloomberg) -- Apple Inc.'s top software executive rallied against Europe's proposed Digital Markets Act, saying requirements in the law would undermine the iPhone's security and create a malware “gold rush.”
The proposed legislation, under consideration by EU lawmakers, includes provisions that would require companies such as Apple to allow third-party app stores on their devices.
“European policy makers have often been ahead of the curve, but requiring sideloading on iPhone would be a step backward,” Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering, said at the Web Summit conference in Lisbon on Wednesday.
“Instead of creating choice, it would open a Pandora's Box of unreviewed, malware-ridden software and deny everyone the option of iPhone's secure approach,” he said.
Read more: Why App Store fees are drawing fire -- QuickTake
Federighi's comments come as Apple faces global pressure from regulators and litigation to open the App Store to competition, threatening what analysts estimate brings in more than $20 billion a year for the iPhone maker.
In September, a U.S. federal judge ruled Apple must let developers of mobile applications steer consumers to outside payment methods, but stopped short of ordering the company to allow third-party app marketplaces to run on its operating system.
Read more: How Apple's App Store grip is loosening
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