More from How the EU’s DMA is changing Big Tech: all of the news and updates
Hours after posting that a notarization submission for the Epic Games Store had been rejected by Apple, Epic and its CEO Tim Sweeney now say it has been un-rejected (a familiar situation here).
We’re still months away from EU residents actually getting the store on their iPhones and iPads, complete with Fortnite, but one barrier has been removed.
Epic Games has submitted the Epic Games Store and Fortnite to Apple for notarization. The company aims to launch them both in the EU on iOS in “the next couple months.”
In January, Epic said it planned to bring both to iOS “this year.”
Apple cited “regulatory uncertainties” and “interoperability requirements” under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) as reasons for delaying its AI features on EU iPhones, but Margrethe Vestager suggested something more sinister is at play at a Forum Europa event on Thursday:
“I find that very interesting, that they say ‘we will now deploy AI where we’re not obliged to enable competition.’ I think that is the most stunning, open declaration that they know 100 percent that this is another way of disabling competition where they have a stronghold already.”
EU regulators are preparing to charge Apple over claims it’s stifling competition by charging developers to link users to outside purchases, according to The Financial Times. The decision is expected in the coming weeks and would mark the first time the EU has charged a company under the newly-imposed Digital Markets Act.
The EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) came into force in March, resulting in the launch of the following new third-party iOS app marketplaces:
• AltStore Pal (hands-on)
• SetApp Mobile (hands-on)
• Aptoide game store (hands-on)
• Mobivention (hands-on)
Each has its own pros and cons but none has been able to upset the balance of power in Europe.
Aptoide is the fourth third-party iOS marketplace to launch in Europe. Will its unique model find success where others have struggled?
The EU’s DMA rules have resulted in the launch of two third-party app stores for iPhone owners: AltStore PAL last month and Setapp Mobile today.
With the release of iOS 17.5, companies like Spotify and Epic now have the option of distributing apps directly from their own websites as well, assuming Apple’s rules aren’t too onerous.
A subscription-based alternative offering nag-free software.
After placing iPadOS under its Digital Markets Act (DMA) rules last month, the European Commission has now designated Booking as a Gatekeeper, finding its online intermediation service Booking.com “meets the relevant thresholds” to be a core platform service.
That’s two additional services (and one new Gatekeeper) now on the list since the first 22 were named in September.
That doesn’t mean users can download just any app from the web, as Apple has created a strict set of guidelines developers must meet to take advantage of the update. Apple also started letting users in the EU use alternative app stores last month.
Aloha Browser says EU users jumped 250 percent in March after the Digital Markets Act forced Apple to display a new default browser choice screen. It joins Brave, Firefox, Vivaldi, DuckDuckGo, Ecosia, and Opera in reporting user spikes, according to Reuters.
Nevertheless, the EU is investigating Apple’s implementation over complaints that it’s too complicated.
Google says it’s just pointing out trade-offs in the law as it details “concerns we’re hearing” since complying with the new rules.
This includes greater traffic to travel aggregators (think: Booking.com and Trivago) at the expense of engagement with airline and hotel sites. Google says hotels have seen direct booking clicks fall, driving them to intermediaries that charge fees. And, consumers who dislike that it’s harder to find Maps on Google Search.
The first beta arrives ahead of the full rollout promised for “later this spring,” allowing app installs directly from a website for developers that agree to Apple’s strict terms and fees. It’s yet another distribution method enabled by the DMA, including alternative app marketplaces that are just starting to rollout for Europeans.
9to5Mac has a roundup of all the beta’s newness including some design changes and anti-stalking features.
DMA is about to unleash a brave new world of game emulators, clipboard managers, and uncertainty.
Thanks to the Digital Markets Act, Meta is gearing up to allow WhatsApp and Messenger to send and receive messages from other services. We’ve already seen screenshots of how the feature might look thanks to WABetaInfo, and now TheSpAndroid has gone one better with a video of the onboarding process, and also reports that WhatsApp could soon offer new AI-powered image editing tools; backdrop, restyle, and expand.