Apple challenges EU ruling mandating rival app stores on iPhones،
Earlier this month, we highlighted Apple’s recognition of the inevitability of third-party app stores in Europe, driven by the passage of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) in EU countries in May. However, subsequent developments suggest that Apple is taking steps to appeal to the EU regarding the inclusion of the App Store and iMessage in the DMA, and the rumors have proven to be true.According to Reuters, Apple has officially filed a complaint to challenge the decisions taken by the European Commission under the recently introduced DMA. This information comes from an article shared by the Court of Justice of the European Union on X. Although the specific details of Apple’s legal challenge remain confidential, Bloomberg News reported last week that the company would challenge the inclusion from its App Store on the list of access controllers. . In simpler terms, Apple is appealing the decision that requires it to allow competing app stores on its iPhones, iPads and other devices. In the same vein, tech giants Meta and TikTok have already filed appeals challenging the Commission’s decision to include their services. Meta’s appeal disagrees with the Commission’s decision to designate its Messenger and Marketplace services under the DMA without challenging the inclusion of Facebook, WhatsApp or Instagram.
Meanwhile, TikTok argues that its designation poses the risk of solidifying the power of dominant tech companies. The platform, operational in Europe for a little over five years, claims to be “the most competent challenger against more established platform companies“.
Under the DMA, the European Commission has the power to designate digital platforms as “gatekeepers” if they play a crucial role as a bridge between businesses and consumers regarding core platform services. The legislation targets 22 “gatekeeper” services operated by six major tech companies: Microsoft, Apple, Alphabet’s Google, Amazon, Meta and ByteDance’s TikTok.
The main goal of the legislation is to make it easier for users to move between competing services. This involves forcing platforms to interact with their competing messaging apps and allowing users to decide which apps to pre-install on their devices.
