Last week, the Biden administration warned the American business community about the potential for Russian cyber attacks in the near future, citing intelligence that shows hackers linked to Russia are exploring the networks of American companies. The administration urged businesses to take every precaution to secure themselves from any attack. They also offered resources through the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) “Shields Up” program. However, while the administration demands private companies put shields up, its congressional allies are pushing legislation to make many such shields illegal.
The Open App Markets Act (OAMA), introduced by Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) would severely limit the ability for smart phone providers to determine which third party content and software developers get access to their devices. The bill requires companies like Apple and Google to allow expanded side loading on devices, giving developers an alternative to going through the usual app stores provided by said companies. Beyond that, OAMA requires these companies make side loading “readily accessible” to these third parties.
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