EU: Apple’s iPadOS must also comply with the Digital Markets Act – Tablets and phones – News

Apple’s iPadOS must comply with the European Digital Markets Act. The European Commission determined this on Monday. This means that Apple must, among other things, open up that operating system to alternative app stores, as it previously had to do with iOS.

The European Commission writes that Apple is also regarded as a ‘gatekeeper’ with iPadOS. The Commission does this after an investigation into the operating system, which was launched in September last year. Although iPadOS does not meet the residential DMA thresholds, the operating system is an important gateway for business users, according to the Commission. That is why it must still comply with the stricter tech regulations.

The European Commission’s investigation found that the number of business iPadOS users exceeds the DMA threshold eleven times, meaning the OS should be subject to stricter tech legislation. In addition, the Commission finds that both private and business iPadOS users are ‘discouraged from switching to other tablet operating systems’. Based on those findings, the European Commission states that Apple with iPadOS has an ‘entrenched and persistent… [markt]position’.

Apple now has six months to comply with DMA legislation with iPadOS. This must therefore happen no later than the end of October 2024. Under the law, Apple must, among other things, allow third-party app stores on iPadOS, as has been the case on iOS since March. Since the DMA came into effect, alternative browser engines have also been allowed on that mobile OS, in addition to installing separate applications via developer websites.

The Digital Markets Act covers various companies that must comply with strict competition rules with their services as ‘gatekeepers’. In September, the European Commission appointed the first six gatekeepers under the DMA, who together have 22 services that will fall under the law. This also included Apple with the iOS operating system, the App Store for iOS and the Safari web browser. The rules will now also apply to iPadOS. Apple’s messaging service, iMessage, was previously exempt from the DMA.