A new EU law obliges Apple to allow other app stores on the iPhone for the first time. The request to open goes back to a clinch with the streaming provider Spotify.
Apple still sees fundamental open questions in the implementation of new EU rules to open up smartphone platforms. The group is particularly badly affected by the European Digital Markets Act (DMA) because, among other things, it has to allow other app stores on its iPhone for the first time. Before adopting the new platform rules, Apple warned for a long time that this could endanger the security of users.
Now Apple manager Kyle Andeer said at a debate in Brussels on Monday that the company is working to meet the DMA requirements. At the same time, the question of how other app stores could be approved without jeopardizing the integrity of Apple products is being investigated.
Among other things, Andeer pointed out that the examiners in Apple’s own download platform filtered out many fraudulent or non-functioning applications. Going forward, users will need to be assured that apps will work as advertised, regardless of the source they were downloaded from, he said. The question is how this can be done.
The Apple manager pointed out that according to the DMA, companies are allowed to take both technical and contractual measures to ensure the integrity of their devices and software. According to the law, such steps must be reasonable and the platform operator must justify that they are necessary to that extent.
