EU antitrust bill could force Apple to make sweeping changes to Siri, App Store & More

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
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Apple may be forced to make major changes to its App Store and other services like Messages and FaceTime, according to a leaked version of a European Union proposal.

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The proposal is the Digital Markets Act, which will implement various restrictions on tech giants aimed at increasing competition. Back in March, EU regulators provisionally approved the proposal.

On Friday, MacRumors viewed a leaked document said to reflect the "final version" of the DMA as of April 13. According to the working document, the EU plans to enact a number of major changes to competition regulations in Europe -- including some previously unreported requirements.

For example, the regulations could force Apple to allow users to download apps from the internet and third-party app marketplaces on iOS. It could compel Apple to allow app developers to use whatever in-app payment systems they choose and promote offers directly to users.

More recent amendments to the DMA included in the working document could also bring regulations around browser engine interoperability and gatekeeping. For example, it will stop companies from requiring developers to use a specific browser engine. Apple, for example, requires all iOS browsers to use its WebKit platform.

Additionally, the DMA proposal also includes provisions that could require companies to ensure that messaging, voice-calling, and video calling apps work with rival services and include end-to-end encryption. That could affect iMessage and FaceTime, but it isn't clear how exactly.

Other parts of the DMA include an amendment that would require companies to give the option to use a third-party voice assistant and portions meant to prevent companies from preferring their own apps and services in rankings or search results.

According to antitrust law blog The Platform, the leaked version of the DMA could require tech giants to come into compliance by 2024.

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 62
    bonoboextremebonoboextreme Posts: 12member
    Greedy technocrats.
    iOS_Guy80watto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 62
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    Oh no, not changes to Siri!
  • Reply 3 of 62
    techaccidenttechaccident Posts: 42member
    They want the whole world to be forced to use an extra-crappy version of Windows for everything. There, now it's even.
    lkruppjas99foregoneconclusionStrangeDaysequality72521tdknoxthtwatto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 62
    SpaceGrayAllDaySpaceGrayAllDay Posts: 14member
    I’m in Europe and the powers at be really need to HAVE A SEAT! 
    jas99watto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 62
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    techaccident said:
    They want the whole world to be forced to use an extra-crappy version of Windows for everything. There, now it's even.
    Like I have predicted, only partly sarcastically, the EU will eventually mandate Android as Europe’s only allowed mobile OS. I mean why wouldn’t they? It would solve all of their supposed interoperability problems. When they say “tech giants” they really mean only Apple because all the others already are interoperable on Android.
    twokatmewuraharaequality72521tdknoxthtwatto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 62
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,808member
    So basically, the EU wants to start designing phones for everyone...the EU knows best apparently. 
    equality72521jas99JFC_PAwatto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 62
    sirdirsirdir Posts: 187member
    Yes! Free the iPhone and more importantly the iPad
  • Reply 8 of 62
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,093member
    sirdir said:
    Yes! Free the iPhone and more importantly the iPad
    Better yet... don't buy an iPhone or iPad.  What's so hard about buying a product that serves your needs instead of forcing a company?

    If enough people ditched the iPhone because it wasn't working for them, Apple would take notice and adapt.  Obviously, more people are perfectly happy with the iPhone than the very few vocal whiners.
    edited April 2022 viclauyycrob53StrangeDaysuraharastompyequality72521jas99SpaceGrayAllDaydocbburkJaiOh81
  • Reply 9 of 62
    viclauyycviclauyyc Posts: 849member
    Why not ask apple to hand over the iOS source code?  EU is starting to act like authoritarian state against Tech companies, even worst than China and Russia 
    rob53jas99docbburktdknoxwatto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 62
    zebratrainzebratrain Posts: 22member
    Cool. The pressure is on. Maybe apple will now contemplate paying its fair share in taxes to European countries it operates in to make this bill more palatable. When you steal from the hand that feeds you time after time again something like this was inevitable and it makes perfect sense that google and amazon are next.
    mpw_amherst
  • Reply 11 of 62
    rorschachairorschachai Posts: 56member
    Since the EU seems to know so much about how to make the best phones, OSes, apps, services., maybe they should just make an euPhone that runs euOS. Offer euCloud and maybe EU Music and EU TV. I’m sure it’ll all work great.
    rob53equality72521jas99docbburktdknoxJaiOh81thtwatto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 62
    foregoneconclusionforegoneconclusion Posts: 2,685member
    Yeah, sure....more competition EXCEPT for privacy/security. Nobody is allowed to compete on that. 
    jas99tdknoxwatto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 62
    rob53rob53 Posts: 3,251member
    I’m trying to understand why European countries allow a group of people not necessarily from their country to control just about everything they do. It’s difficult enough for Americans to agree in anything but there’s no way we would put up with Canada or Mexico governing what we do. Time for citizens of the EU countries to tell these wanna-be dictators to bugger off. 
    equality72521docbburkwatto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 62
    appplesappples Posts: 2member
    Europeans eagerly looking forward to data breaches and the opportunities penalize US companies while taking the past and present US assistance for granted. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 62
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,926member
    What a bunch of maroons. If you don’t like Apple’s ios, youre free to use Android. 

    It’ll be a technological nightmare. 
    uraharaequality72521Madbumjas99tdknoxgeorgie01watto_cobra
  • Reply 16 of 62
    uraharaurahara Posts: 733member
    zebratrain said:
    Cool. The pressure is on. Maybe apple will now contemplate paying its fair share in taxes to European countries it operates in to make this bill more palatable. When you steal from the hand that feeds you time after time again something like this was inevitable and it makes perfect sense that google and amazon are next.
    Do you mean that EU wants to steal from Apple which feeds EU?
    rob53equality72521jas99watto_cobra
  • Reply 17 of 62
    uraharaurahara Posts: 733member
    Basically EU wants to force Apple to allow others to do with Appl’s system (and business model) whatever those others want. 
    Who wins? Those who want to get personal data, install malware and exploit users and extort money. 
    Madbumjas99docbburktdknoxdope_ahminewatto_cobra
  • Reply 18 of 62
    zebratrainzebratrain Posts: 22member
    urahara said:
    zebratrain said:
    Cool. The pressure is on. Maybe apple will now contemplate paying its fair share in taxes to European countries it operates in to make this bill more palatable. When you steal from the hand that feeds you time after time again something like this was inevitable and it makes perfect sense that google and amazon are next.
    Do you mean that EU wants to steal from Apple which feeds EU?
    EU has the thing that apple needs: customers with the cash and access to financial instruments to purchase and keep purchasing their products. But the EU gets a rotten deal because digital services are taxed elsewhere if at all and way bellow actual value. Apple has been very naughty (polite way of saying that they are stealing) and refused to pay fair taxes. 

    I think this is a shakedown. Pay us what you owe or else thing. What is disconcerting is that the EU has fallen to the level of the likes of apple/google/samsung to get what it wants.

    mpw_amherst
  • Reply 19 of 62
    equality72521equality72521 Posts: 184member
    viclauyyc said:
    Why not ask apple to hand over the iOS source code?  EU is starting to act like authoritarian state against Tech companies, even worst than China and Russia 
    Starting?!?!
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 20 of 62
    MadbumMadbum Posts: 536member
    People are thinking about this wrong

    Apple can simply offer  an EU compliant version of the phone with limited App Store, iCloud and Siri access, and side loading etc. they can do this either at the software level or hardware level.

    Also offer free exchanges to anyone within 6 months to either phone. I am guessing the EU phone will not be popular at all . 

    However, I would still offer people in EU a choice of a fully “Apple Complaint”  phone and people can chose. Is the communist Like EU going to say people cannot chose what they want? Why should people who want Apple security be forced to use their everything open phone?

    I hope Apple is planning this the same way, would also love to hear why this idea would not work?
    edited April 2022 jas99tyjon31mobirdwatto_cobra
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