As the DMA comes into force, Apple is preparing to bring its services into compliance with European legislation. And certain changes will have very concrete consequences for users, particularly on iPhone.
With the entry into force of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) on March 7, digital giants must prepare to submit to new obligations, particularly in terms of user security, but also competition. A major and even historic change for the main market players, who have every interest in complying with the new measures. Among the firms named by the European Commission, we find in particular six “access controllers” (gatekeepers): Alphabet (the parent company of Google), Amazon, Apple, Meta (Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp), Microsoft and ByteDance (the owner of TikTok), but also four social networks (TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn) , and three operating systems (Android, iOS, Windows). Because like its competitors, Apple must make many changes to its environment for mobile devices. A work that the company already started a long time ago. In a communicated published on January 25, 2024 on its website, the Cupertino firm provides an update on the measures it will put in place in iOS 17.4, which should be deployed in March and only in the European Union.
DMA: major changes for the Apple ecosystem
To comply with European legislation, Apple had to rework many functions. One of the major changes implemented by the Cupertino company is that it will have to authorize other application stores and payment systems on iOS. Previously, users could only download apps and games through the App Store. A way for the company to earn commissions of up to 30% on digital goods and services. Now users will be able to download apps from other stores. The latter will also be able to use an alternative payment system in order to avoid Apple’s commission.
Thanks to this change, applications of cloud gaming will also be available on the App Store. Thus, it will be possible to access services such as GeForce Now or Xbox Cloud, which will be able to offer a real application rather than necessarily going through a web browser as before. More concretely, users will be able to access and enjoy a complete list of games without downloading the titles to their device. For its part, Apple has warned that games will have to respect the App Store’s rating guidelines as well as the age rating of the host application.
Among the many new features, Apple also unveiled a change concerning payment systems. Soon, developers in the European Economic Area will be able to offer NFC payments in their third-party applications. A new feature that will allow users to pay for their purchases directly with their device using contactless technology, without necessarily going through Apple Pay, the Apple company’s payment service. Thus, developers will have the choice between payment services and purchases in app from Apple – with which they will have to pay an additional processing fee of 3% – or the integration of a third-party payment system without paying additional fees to Apple.
From March 7, Apple will also have to open competition to other navigation engines on iOS. Until now, the company only allowed web browsers that ran through its own browser engine, called WebKit. In iOS 17.4, users will then be able to use real alternative engines. “In accordance with DMA requirements, Apple is also introducing a new choice screen that will appear when users open Safari for the first time in iOS 17.4 or later. This screen will prompt European users to choose a default browser from a options list”, indicates Apple in its press release. It will thus be possible to use other browser engines, such as Chromium, used by Google’s Chrome, or Gecko, used by Mozilla’s Firefox.
If Apple agreed to make such changes, it was out of obligation and not out of joy. Especially since the Cupertino company judges that the obligations of the Digital Markets Act can compromise the security and confidentiality of users. According to the firm, the new measures force users to expose themselves to new risks. “New payment processing and app download options on iOS open new avenues for malware, fraud and scams, illegal and harmful content, and other privacy and security threats. Security”, says the company, specifying that application stores and alternative navigation engines can also represent a danger for users. Powerless in the face of the situation, Apple nevertheless concludes by ensuring that the App Store and WebKit are the most secure and optimized tools for its devices.