Europe has changed its internet rules after the Digital Markets Act came into effect this week, requiring the largest tech companies to adhere to strict new standards. Now the world is waiting to see which giant will fall foul of the law first. One of the architects of the DMA said Apple was a strong candidate for the first formal investigation, describing the company as “low-hanging fruit.”
Apple has faced growing pressure in recent years from European and U.S. rivals, regulators and courts as it imposes restrictions on app makers that must rely on its App Store to reach millions of users. Yesterday, Apple terminated the developer account of Fortnite publisher Epic Games, which has challenged the company in U.S. courts and recently announced its intention to launch an app to compete with Apple’s App Store.
German MEP Andreas Schwab, who led negotiations to finalize the DMA on behalf of the EU parliament, said this made Apple a likely first target for breaches. “[This] That gave me a very clear expectation that they wanted to be number one. ” he told Wired. “Apple’s approach to this is a little weird, so it’s a low-hanging fruit. “
Schwab is not involved in the execution of the DMA. This is overseen by the European Commission, which has asked Apple to “further explain” why it terminated Epic’s account and is assessing whether this breached the DMA.
In a statement to Wired, Apple spokesman Rob Saunders said, “Apple’s approach to the Digital Markets Act is guided by two simple goals: comply with the law and reduce DMA for our EU users. “There are inevitable and increased risks.” Apple said on its website that alternative app stores carry risks of malware, illegal code and other harmful content.
The DMA aims to “break open” technology platform rules by requiring Apple to allow iPhone users to download apps from places other than Apple’s official App Store. Epic Games Store, Announce In January, Fortnite maker Epic plans to launch an alternative app store that will be the first to take advantage of the new system.
Apple told Wired that it has the right to terminate Epic’s account based on a 2021 California court ruling. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney has been an outspoken critic of what he calls Apple’s “app store monopolyThe victory for the smartphone maker comes despite the U.S. Supreme Court in January rejecting a request to hear the latest developments in the lengthy antitrust dispute between the two companies.
The DMA comes into force on March 7 at midnight in Brussels – and at 3pm in Silicon Valley. Since then, six of the world’s largest technology companies – Apple, Alphabet, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft and TikTok’s Beijing-based owner ByteDance – must comply with a new set of rules aimed at improving competition in digital markets.
In addition to Apple having to allow external apps, Microsoft Windows will no longer have Microsoft-owned Bing as its default search tool; Meta’s WhatsApp users will be able to communicate with people on rival messaging apps; Google and Amazon will have to Adjust their search results to create more space for your competitors. Companies that fail to comply with the new regulations can be fined up to 20% of global turnover.