The European Union wants to crack down on companies like Apple, especially companies that act as 'gatekeepers'. to serve. Such companies should set up a separate internal department to ensure that all new rules are complied with, the EU believes. A proposal from the European Parliament's Internal Market Committee receives broad support. So far, 43 EU countries have voted in favor of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), of which it is all a part. Apple is almost certainly seen as a gatekeeper, since it has full control over the hardware and software functions of devices and the software offered via the App Store. The company's gigantic turnover also plays a part in this: Apple is a powerful party.
The DMA could bring major changes to several of Apple's services, including the App Store, iMessage, FaceTime, Siri and Safari. For example, Apple can be forced to allow third-party app stores and also ensure that developers have direct access to hardware functions on devices. At the moment it is still the case that Apple itself has full access to all hardware options (for example, of NFC) and only makes them available to third parties sparingly and at its discretion. Safety is often mentioned as an argument. According to the new rules, developers should also be able to promote their apps and services outside the App Store. In addition, payment systems must be possible outside the App Store and they must have access to the data that Apple collects.
Apple is getting busy
Earlier we wrote about the fact that services such as iMessage must be compatible with other providers. This also applies to other providers such as WhatsApp. To ensure companies comply, the EU wants companies ‘compliance officers’ who monitor whether all the rules are being complied with. The EU legislatures already agreed in March and the final vote in the European Parliament will take place in July. The new rules will take effect 20 days after publication and companies will have six months to comply. Meanwhile, Apple has come under fire in other countries as well, including the US, UK, Australia. Japan and South Korea. New rules can also be set in that region. It is precisely because of Apple's closed systems that it can get quite busy with all kinds of adjustments.