The European Commission announced it’ll investigate Apple for its iPhone sideloading rules in the EU and other DMA compliance measures.
The European Commission (EC) announced on Monday that it will investigate several gatekeepers over the way they’ve chosen to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA). To the surprise of basically nobody who has been following Apple’s methods of introducing iPhone sideloading support in the EU, Apple is part of that investigation.
I explained in detail how iPhone sideloading would work in Europe when Apple announced its DMA compliance changes. At the time, I warned that the EC might not like Apple’s methods. One possible reason for an investigation was the CTF fee that Apple would charge developers of popular apps who make their software available on their websites or third-party stores.
It turns out the EC will indeed look at the fee structure Apple has proposed. But that’s not the only point of contention the EC has with Apple on the latter’s DMA compliance.
I’m a European who doesn’t plan to use sideloading, install iPhone app marketplaces, or use third-party payment systems for digital content in the App Store.
But I understand that some developers want better terms than what Apple has been offering. And some consumers might want to download any app on the iPhone, just like they do on a PC.
That’s why I think Apple should make iPhone sideloading available more broadly without worrying that much about taking a financial hit. I’m sure most people will stick with the App Store if given the choice.
As for the iPhone’s security, Apple could very well stick as many pop-up screens on the iPhone to inform the user about the dangers ahead and point the fingers at the legislators, starting with the EC.
I did say that Apple’s DMA changes no longer make me worry about iPhone malware, though Apple made updates to its original set of rules to allow developers to offer their apps for download from their websites.
