Apple is facing major pressure from the European Union over its business practices and the company is ready to comply. However, Apple is now looking at different ways in which the new rules in the EU do not affect its overall market situation.
As per new reports, Apple is ready to allow third-party apps to run on iOS as demanded in the Digital Markets Act (DMA) but it will have a special review process in place which will scan for any possible concerns regarding the apps people download on their iPhones, as highlighted by The Wall Street Journal this week.
Reviewing apps that are being installed from outside the main app store is a common strategy that even Google has adopted recently to thwart the concerns regarding sideloading. But it is certain that Apple’s review process for these apps is likely to be more stringent which could go against the whole point of having these laws in the first place.
But that’s not all, Apple realises that sideloading could have a major impact on its app store earnings, so the report mentions that app developers offering their apps from these third-party app stores will be charged a fee by the company. Apple’s app store commissions are one of the many reasons why the EU has decided to clamp down on this supposed anti competitive behaviour.
And if the company does impose fees on third-party app downloads, developers will once again question the logic of this ruling if Apple can bypass the restrictions and set new rules for its ecosystem.
Changes are warranted, not only in just Europe but other markets as well, and Apple’s dominance in some countries allows the company to set its own terms and force developers and platforms to follow or else face actions for violating its policies. If these new terms come into play, EU regulators might be forced to summon Tim Cook and Co. and order them to relax such norms.
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