2024-01-25 18:00:08
Apple announced unprecedented measures on Thursday, January 25: from the beginning of March, European users of its smartphones will no longer have to go through its App Store to download applications and they will benefit from a wider choice in terms of services installed by default.
Criticized for years by major application publishers for having created too closed a universe, why is Apple moving now? The group led by Tim Cook is forced to do so by the Digital Markets Act (DMA), the European regulation introduced to restore more competition on digital platforms. Its entry into force is scheduled for March 6.
Apple also makes no secret of acting backwards: “The changes announced today are consistent with the requirements of the DMA and attempt to protect European users from the threats that this regulation will inevitably cause to their privacy and security”explains, in a press release, manager Phil Schiller, responsible in particular for the App Store.
Since the beginning of discussions on the regulation of digital platforms, Apple has reiterated that the security of iPhone users is linked to its unique control of the interactions between its devices, its iOS environment and its software. There has never been a mass virus or malware (malicious software) on iPhone, the company insisted again on Thursday.
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The European authorities, for their part, have decided in favor of a wider opening of large platforms that have become essential to the digital world, notably prohibiting their owners from promoting their own services or abusing their dominant position. .
Concretely, from the release of IOS 17.4 at the beginning of March, companies will be able to establish alternative application stores. However, users will have to give their consent to their installation. Apple will also carry out a security check of the applications, in particular to detect viruses or spyware, and check their privacy policy.
Evaluation sheets will inform users about the applications. However, this verification will be less thorough than the manual review carried out in the App Store. The latter notably imposes a content moderation policy on application publishers. Another concession: publishers will be able to communicate directly with their users about alternative means of subscribing or paying.
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