It’s official. The iPad’s operating system also meets the criteria of the Digital Markets Act (DMA). This is bad news for Apple, which will have to take similar measures to those that have recently been implemented on iOS.
The legislation, which aims to ensure a thriving competitive landscape within the European Union, regulates large platforms, known as gatekeepers. Some services from Amazon, Meta, ByteDance, Microsoft, Google, and Apple have this status. As a result, they must comply with many additional rules related to competition and competitiveness, including opening up their systems to their rivals.
As far as Apple is concerned, only the App Store, iOS, and Safari have so far fallen into this box. But the European Commission has just delivered its verdict following an open investigation into iPadOS in September 2023. The answer is yes, the operating system meets sufficient criteria to achieve gatekeeper status.
Alternative iPad app stores coming soon?
In particular, the European Commission points the finger at the closed iPad ecosystem, which “discourages end users from switching to other tablet operating systems.”
“Our market research has shown that while iPadOS doesn’t meet the thresholds, it’s an important gateway that many businesses rely on to reach their customers. Today’s decision will ensure that fairness and contestability are preserved on this platform as well,” said Margrethe Vestager, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of competition policy.
According to the law- the California based company that produces iPad will have to remove any features present on iPad that are not applicable to its competitors. It will also enhance “sideloading” activities, enabling users to paste apps out for App Store and also downloading third-party application stores. It could be that the pricing system, which was brought to iOS so far, will be applied to iPadOS as well. The European Commission has been inquiring to find out how the new legislation was implemented.
Six months to comply
Companies that violate the Digital Markets Act risk fines of up to 10% of their overall turnover. This amount can rise to 20% in the event of a repeat offense.