High-stakes talks: EU once again demands for third-party app stores on iPhones،
Under the ever-vigilant gaze of the European Union's Digital Market Act (DMA), major tech players like Apple, Google, Amazon, Meta and Microsoft find themselves under constant compliance scrutiny. In a notable move last year, Apple, in particular, acknowledged the need to allow third-party app stores, but then challenged the EU's mandate for competing app stores on iPhones. Now the story doesn't end there. According to Apple Insider, Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for a Europe fit for the digital age, held discussions with the leaders of major American technology companies. His meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook focused specifically on the App Store and Apple Music.
She met Tim Cook at Apple Park, but neither the EU nor Apple shared details of the meeting. However, Vestager posted a concise summary on X (formerly Twitter).
The meeting also touched on discussions over Apple Music and the EU's ongoing investigation into its alleged antitrust actions. However, the exact nature of these discussions remains unclear, given that the EU has already ruled that Apple Music violates EU antitrust rules.
The DMA, which is expected to come into force in March, is a groundbreaking piece of legislation that has the potential to have a substantial impact on the digital market. It is designed to address concerns among policymakers and consumers about the influence of big tech companies.
The DMA blocks gatekeepers, including the companies mentioned above, from practices deemed anti-competitive, such as self-preferencing, data exclusivity and unfair trading. It also requires gatekeepers to allow third-party applications and services to access their platforms and give users more control over their data.
