- iOS 16.2 and later includes a new geolocation tracking backend
- The system will use multiple data points to limit access to features based on location
- Evidence that Apple may already be working to comply with EU regulations concerning sideloading
With the release of iOS 16.2, Apple quietly added a new backend geolocation system to iPhones and iPads called “countryd” which can revoke access to certain features based on a user’s location, according to an exclusive report from 9to5Mac.
The report details findings that show the new system will operate by combining data points from a user’s SIM card, their current GPS location, and country codes from Wi-Fi routers to identify which country a user resides in. This contrasts Apple’s current hard-coding approach, which blanketly applies region-specific software restrictions based on preconfigured settings and from where the hardware originates.
Though not yet in use, the new system offers a more straightforward on-device location tracking method designed to set software boundaries “determined by government regulators,” clarifies the report. While the more sophisticated approach will make it more difficult for users to bypass region-specific software restrictions, it also enables devices to ignore them automatically when traveling to another region.
European legislation requires Apple to allow sideloading for apps beginning in 2024. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman appeared on the MacRumors Show podcast to share that app sideloading and third-party app marketplaces will be available only in European countries to comply with legislation.
Evidence of this geolocation system in iOS 16.2 suggests that subsequent versions of iOS, including iOS 17, could continue to lay the groundwork for these changes offering foundational software implementation strategies for alternative app marketplaces beyond the built-in App Store app.
