What you need to know
- The EU is making fundamental changes to the way companies like Apple do business.
- New rules mean Apple will no longer be able to promote their own interests, and will force sharing of data with other businesses.
- It could also lead to forcing Apple to host other app stores on the iPhone.
The EU has today announced that it has adopted major new laws that could completely change the way we use devices like the iPhone.
The bloc stated:
The Commission welcomes the adoption by the European Parliament of the Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act, proposed by the Commission in December 2020.The Digital Services Package sets out a first comprehensive rulebook for the online platforms that we all depend on in our daily lives. These new rules will be applicable across the whole of the EU and will create a safer and more open digital space, grounded in respect for fundamental rights.
The EU's competition chief said the new acts would protect users' rights online and "creates fair, open online markets." Big changes could be imposed on companies like Apple, which will "have to refrain from promoting their own interests, share their data with other businesses, enable more app stores." The latter has been a huge sticking point for Apple and a key issue in the Epic Games App Store lawsuit the company won earlier this year.
Both laws now have to be adopted by the Council of the European Union and are expected to come into force later this year. As noted, they could herald some big changes to devices like the iPhone, its App Store, and the way we interact and pay for things like apps and in-app purchases on platforms like iOS 16.
