European Union’s new law could force iPhones to support sideloading of apps and permit other app stores
This time around, the European Union is exerting more pressure on Apple, and the company may be compelled to open its doors to competing app stores and enable the sideloading of applications onto iOS devices like the iPhone. The European Union has recently adopted a new rule that puts Apple in the limelight. Apple obviously does not fulfill the gatekeeper criteria, at least based on how the company operates and its revenues, which makes it an apparent contender to fall under the EU’s inspection because of the new regulation that requires companies to meet the gatekeeper criteria.
Because the Digital Markets Act (DMA) mandates that messaging apps must be interoperable, it is likely that Apple will be forced to collaborate with Google’s RCS Messages and may even have to share its network with Whatsapp. Nevertheless, the App Store has to be Apple’s primary source of concern at this point. The DMA wants companies to expose their platforms to third-party app stores, which are currently available for Android. However, Apple will definitely be sweating over the idea of dealing with developers on an interoperable level because of the DMA’s request.
Sideloading apps on Apple could happen soon
Not only that but in addition to that, Apple might be compelled to enable sideloading on iOS, which the firm has historically opposed due to security concerns. In the past few years, the EU has been quite proactive with a variety of policies, which has put firms like Apple in a situation where adjustments are necessary. This is something that must be acknowledged. At the beginning of this year, the European Union (EU) approved a law that made it obligatory for all mobile devices to support USB C for the purpose of charging. Apple has already said that it will follow the law, but the company hasn’t given a date for when the changes will be made.
And the current order from the DMA is another nail in the coffin for its intentions, as it requires businesses to comply with the new rules by March 6, 2024, which is not an overly distant date. As a result of the fact that Apple will be required to make the changes to the charging standard by the year 2024, it is possible that the iPhone 15 model will support charging via USB-C. We are really interested to watch how these new restrictions are implemented once they take effect, and if they do, how a massive firm like Apple will respond when the law compels it to make changes that the company has historically been opposed to making. Also, whether Apple plans to implement these adjustments exclusively for the European market or throughout all of its markets,