EU Overhaul

APPLE'S EFFORTS TO KEEP USERS SAFE IN EUROPE DESPITE DMA

APP STORE OVERHAUL

For the first time in its history, Apple is set to allow iPhone users in the EU to download apps from sources other than its own App Store. This paradigm shift could include access to rival platforms like the Google Play Store in a move designed to appease the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). The implications are profound, signaling a move from Apple’s walled-garden ecosystem towards a more open digital marketplace and allowing developers, publishers, and third-party app stores to offer their services away from Apple’s usual tight grip. DMA was designed to “harmonize platform regulation across the EU and ensure fair and open digital markets.” For the first time, it meant that Apple would no longer be in total control over how users download apps or pay for goods and services within those apps, potentially damaging a significant iOS revenue stream.

Another critical change is the introduction of more browser options. Since the introduction of iOS, users have been restricted to Apple’s Safari browser. Indeed, even third-party apps and browsers such as Google Chrome were forced to be built on top of the Safari API, limiting innovation and ensuring Apple stayed at the top on iOS. With the new ruling and Apple’s upcoming changes, users and developers can choose from an array of alternatives as their default. Users in the EU who update to iOS 17.4 will now be presented with a splash screen, allowing them to choose a new default browser. Some options include Firefox, Opera, Chrome, Brave, and Microsoft Edge, but the chances are that more browsers and firms will be added to the list in due course.