Due to the EU Digital Markets act, Apple will be forced to allow sideloading and third-party app stores in the EU market. The recently legislated EU Digital Markets act was included in the initial proposal for the bloc’s sweeping Digital Markets Act, or DMA, which came one step closer to being signed into law this week. According to an EU spokesperson,
We believe that the smartphone owner should have the freedom to choose how to use it. This freedom includes opting for alternative sources of apps on your smartphone. With the DMA, a smartphone owner would still be able to enjoy safe and secure services of the default app store on their smartphones. On top of that, if a user chooses, the DMA would allow a smartphone owner to also opt for other safe app stores.
EUROPEAN UNION
How will the DMA affect Apple and its daily users
Although DMA is yet to be voted into law by the European Parliament, there seems to be no obstacle in its way. This means that the law would be in force as early as October this year, and this will allow the member states of the EU to implement the law into their national law system.
The DMA would mean that the users can choose what app they want to install and from where they want to install it on their smartphones. This will also allow developers to use the app store without using Apple’s payment systems. Apple is known for its data protection and security features, but the implementation of DMA poses a threat to this.
Apple has been against sideloading for a long time, arguing that sideloading will cause security flaws that will degrade the security of the iOS platform. This will expose users to data and security-related threats from third-party apps and the app store. But users have been sideloading apps into the iOS system for some time already, with several apps that install a whole third-party app store because Apple’s enterprise app program allows businesses to load on custom apps. Apple is concerned that devices like the iPhone contain highly sensitive data compared to MAC, enabling users to install apps outside of App Store.
But the European Union argues that the risks feared by Apple can be eliminated by allowing the users to select in their device’s settings where they’re comfortable installing apps from. The EU presents Google as an example; a Google Playstore user must manually turn off to download apps from third-party sources. Since the DMA is still to be voted in by the European Parliament, little can be said about the law’s changes to the smartphone ecosystem.
What is your opinion on EU Digital Markets Act forcing Apple to sideload? Let us know in the comments below.
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