The European Union Commission has accelerated its work to eliminate unfair competition in the technology sector. According to a Bloomberg report on Apple, iOS and iPadOS operating systems, Apple will allow third-party application stores and external application installation.
Apple will allow third-party app stores
The uniform charge entry law, which was put forward in the past years, was accepted by the European Union Commission. The law, which will enter into force on December 28, 2024, will make the sale of iPhones with Type-C input mandatory in European countries.
Software engineers are allegedly working to make it possible for users to download third-party software to their iPhones and iPads without using the App Store. This will allow companies to avoid the up to 30 percent commission Apple charges on all transactions.
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While lobbying against new European laws, Apple argued that sideloading could install unsafe apps on consumers’ devices and undermine privacy. The company aims to have the changes ready as part of next year’s iOS 17 update to meet the requirements.
The report states that the process is managed by Craig Apple Vice President of Software Engineering Andreas Wendker. It was stated that Apple does not plan to open the new feature to users outside of Europe.
Analysts said the company is also considering whether to enforce security requirements for apps installed outside of the App Store. This could invalidate verification by Apple and potentially the EU’s Digital Markets Act targets.
Finally, Apple has yet to make a final decision on whether the DMA will comply with the requirement to allow third-party payment systems or make iMessage interoperable with other messaging services. However, the company continues to work on providing more access to third-party apps, including the camera, NFC and more.