Meta & Microsoft are lobbying the EU to reject Apple's new App Store plans [u]
Ahead of Apple's proposals for third-party App Stores coming out of beta, firms including Meta and Microsoft are lobbying the EU in the hopes that it will reject the plans.
The App Store is changing in Europe
Apple has detailed how it proposes to follow the European Union's laws in its Digital Markets Act, and specifically over opening up the iPhone to alternative app stores. Major developers who pushed for these changes have disapproved of Apple's plans and called them extortion.
From March 7, 2024, Apple's plans come out of beta with the public release of iOS 17.4, and from that date, it must be in compliance with the new laws. This means that also from that date, the EU can impose fines on Apple -- and according to the Financial Times, rivals hope to persuade the Union that Apple has failed to comply.
"The initial steps [to comply] that Apple has put forward are very prohibitive to us actually creating a meaningful alternative to the one store that's available on the world's largest gaming platforms, which are mobile phones," Microsoft gaming chief Phil Spencer told the publication. "So we will continue to work with regulators to open that up."
For Meta, CEO Mark Zuckerberg has described Apple's rules as "onerous" and so against the spirit of the EU's regulation that he would be surprised "if any developer chose to go into the alternative app stores."
According to the Financial Times, Apple has said that it spent "months in conversation with the European Commission" about its plans, and the result is based on the work of "hundreds of Apple team members who spent tens of thousands of hours."
The publication has no details yet of specific filings or complaints being made to the EU. However, the EU has said that it can launch a non-compliance procedure against any firm covered by its Digital Markets Act, once the March 7 deadline has passed.
Any such procedure would be prompted by either complaints from third parties, or the EU's own observations. It would then be likely to include the EU receiving submissions from interested parties, which is when Meta, Microsoft and others could file complaints.
In response to criticism of its EU App Store proposals, Apple has issued a statement stressing both its compliance with the law.
Who will object to Apple
It's probable that alongside Meta and Microsoft, firms such as Spotify, and Epic Games will object. Although Epic Games has now applied for, and received, a new Apple Developer licence specifically for the EU App Store.
Spotify has announced that it will give EU iPhone users the ability to buy subscriptions within its own app, which it claims was previously "outside of our control." In truth, Spotify could always offer subscriptions within the app, it has chosen against it in order to not pay Apple a fee per subscriber.
Epic Games has called out Apple for what he says is "malicious compliance" with the EU's DMA, seemingly erroneously describing Apple's rules as illegal.
Separately, Epic Games has also already announced that it plans to file a court motion, saying Apple has failed to comply with App Store rules in the US too.
Updated: 11:10 A.M. ET with news of Apple's response.
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Comments
They sound worried. While not ideal for the security/privacy aspects, it does mean it's one less reason for people to choose Android over iOS.
Nest Cameras
Nest Protect fire/smoke/carbon Monoxide detectors
Nest Hubs
Nest Wifi
Nest Thermostats
Nest Doorbells
... none of which Apple themselves offer and vertically integrate.
Plus products that Apple has their own version of such as
Google Chromecast (kind of)
Pixel Buds
Pixel Watch
Nest speakers
Pixel tablet
And all of the above products vertically integrated.
But other than that, you are 100% correct, Danox. /s
Without third party apps would you still buy an iPhone? I doubt it.
While being essential to iPhone survival you are calling them leeches.
No. The entire platform needs third party apps. The real question is whether Apple has the right to be the sole provider of consumer apps via its App Store.
That question has a clear answer in the EU and very possibly, in the short to near term, worldwide.
What I do have an interest in is how nearly every app these days is monitoring as much as they can about what I'm doing, even when I'm not using them. I'd love to see the EU (and other governments) force every app, OS, and hardware manufacturer to be upfront about the information they collect, how they collect it, and what they do with it. Then provide clear options for turning it off (all of it). I'm sure Microsoft and Meta would be behind that as well, no?
Being popular is obviously what got it labeled as a gatekeeper. It's in the numbers but that isn't everything.
Take time out to actually read the DMA/DSA.
Security and privacy are so important to me that indeed I would still buy an iPhone if there was no app store. Absolutely. In fact, I would rather have a "Feature Phone" (dumb phone) than an Android phone.
Sweet straw man tho, bro!
And why can’t I cut out Sony’s Playstation store, which insists on charging me $10/mo for multiplayer support (ex Diablo 4) when it’s free on PC, both of which relay only on Battle.net servers and not Sony’s?
Where’s the outrage? Where is the EU? Heavens!
That's a claim severely lacking in evidence, so I have no idea how you could reply he was 100% correct unless you have that evidence. You don't do you?
The best you could claim is he is 100% entitled to his personal opinion.
I'll agree with that.
But that understanding and/or respect of users is the difference between a (primarily) consumer company like Apple and a (primarily) advertising company like Google. Google may have bought a hardware brand (founded by ex-Apple folks), but fundamentally its corporate culture doesn’t grok this and likely never will. They make their money catering to advertisers, not consumers. It drives their approach and thinking in most things.
“It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it.”