WASHINGTON (Reuters), – Apple, the smartphone maker (NASDAQ:), has addressed lawmakers to deny that Apple’s concerns over sideloading app apps in phones was excessive.

Sideloading (the practice of downloading applications without an app store) is one reform that legislators hope will make it easier to access the apps market.

Congress is considering legislation to rein in the app store run by Apple and Alphabet’s Google. This bill would allow companies to permit sideloading. Apple claims that this would pose a security problem because Apple controls the applications in its store to ensure users are safe.

Apple sent a Thursday letter to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee’s key members, stating that it knew Bruce Schneier (computer security expert) had called Apple’s concerns regarding sideloading “unfounded.”

Apple argued that malware doesn’t rely on technical tricks for accessing devices, but rather tricks users to install it. Apple reviews of the apps in the App Store creates an “high barrier to the most prevalent scams used for spreading malware,” it argued.

Apple conceded that Schneier’s assertion that hackers could hack smartphones’ security systems was true, but claimed that they are “rare threats.”

Apple stated in a letter that was viewed and analyzed by Reuters, “There are ample evidence showing that third-party apps stores are a major malware vector on platforms who support such stores,”

It was sent along with Mike Lee to the Senate Judiciary Committee chair Dick Durbin.

Early February saw the approval of the bill by the committee. Companies would be prohibited from making payment providers sign up for the bill. They would also not be allowed to punish apps who offer prices and conditions that are different through another app store.

Congress has been putting pressure on the largest technology companies including Meta Platforms Inc’s Facebook and Amazon.com (NASDAQ.:). They are being accused of abusing their enormous market power. Although a long list of bills has been proposed to curb them, none have become law.