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New EU Law Could Force Apple to Allow Other App Stores, Sideloading, and iMessage Interoperability

commander.data said:
In iMessage, messages to and from people using third-party clients could be Red to distinguish them from blue Apple first-party client iMessages and there could be an option to not allow iMessages from third-party clients.
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Hopefully we will be able to easily block the third party messages. I have no interest in being flooded with more spam and garbage by people who will use this as a gateway into iMessage.
 
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Hope Apple realizes that the EU will not stop until they can guarantee their governments have full access to all digital devices. The EU does not respect privacy when it comes to the government reach. To expect them to operate otherwise is to be blind to their ambitions. You have been warned.
 
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deeddawg said:
Until the key apps you wish to you choose to exit the app store, leaving you with a dilemma of eschewing those apps or opening your device up.
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Doubt it. That would be a huge lost of business for developers as I'm sure many users won't want to sideload or download a third party app store. They'd likely just charge more purchases through the Apple app store. Then the user can decide which they prefer. Saving some money or sticking with the Apple app store for ease of use and perceived security and privacy.
 
I get this impression that-- to comply with the EU should this be enforced-- Apple will create a fork of iOS/iPadOS for the EU market, perhaps "hobbled" in some fashion.

I mean, it's what I'd prefer to happen. And as others have said, should certain apps choose to leave and be available only through alternative means, you move away from them. The heightened competition should (in theory) force Apple's hand, making them further improve their stock applications.

Quite the turning point we're watching unfold here...
 
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nikusak said:
One more thing: Apple’s IAP and 15-30% cut is definitely problematic in many cases.

I don’t see how Apple can justify taking 15-30% if AppStore IAP is used from services it competes with, like Spotify and Netflix.

Fix it: only a nominal cut (0,x%) or allow third party IAPs, instead of allowing (too easy) sideloading. Seriously, look at the waves of FluBots and the like on Android. Sideloading is not a solution to anything.

Apple’s sandboxing and API limitations prevent most of Android-like malware, but still.

I think half of my purchases are a result of easy IAP/payments. If I had to jump into an external payment system for a 0,99€ payment…no thanks.

It’s also dead easy to deal with your kids’ payments, restore purchases, get refunds, use gift cards etc.

AppStore is great, despite a few vocal devs (like starving Epic…) whining, or the occasional crazy app review decision.
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If an App costs $0 on the store it still costs the developer a fee to submit. If the app costs money to purchase then I agree with a fluid fee that is based on volume and cost of sales. It should also permit other financial methods of payment at present one can use ApplePay, CC, PayPal etc but Apple is the processor. The financial cut can be negotiated between Apple and the tire-party processor. Apple should also offer the developer options for hosting fees unless that is incorporated into the developer fees. There are many options to have granule control for the developer and Apple but this blanket oversimplified version needs to evolve.
 
CarlJ said:
Keep getting this same tired argument over and over again. It will be software companies forcing people to use other stores, by only offering their apps there, so they can ignore Apple’s safeguards, or get more money (you… you don’t actually expect they’re going to lower their prices, do you?).
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Because it is logical.

Do you want to know what I would do if Facebook gets its own AppStore to download Facebook?

I would simply not downloaded their app. No company can force me to use their AppStore when I have other options available.

Every app on the iOS AppStore that leaves will have an alternative available on the store.

You just want companies to be forced to be available on iOS.
 
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Many users on this forum knows how their iPhone works and they can choose if they want to Sideload or use another App store because they know how to make the difference.

But one thing many people don't think of is that we also buy iPhone for our parents, kids, grandparents, etc. Which they don't know exactly how technology works. Many of them just follow stupid steps to do things.

I remember when I was a kid that someone called me and provided all informations and told me it's from the phone carrier. Asked me to follow some steps and I did because I was a kid and didn't know at that time ...
Few minutes after I realised I just transferred 200 euros to a prepaid number ...
When there is a loophole some will be there to take advantage of it!
 
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erikkfi said:
I think the EU should drop this idea if Apple agrees to perpetually take no commission for app sales, IAP, developer accounts, unwind iAds, and stop pre-installing their services apps (Music, TV, Fitness+).

This way Apple can decide whether profit or platform integrity is the thing they care about.
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I've said it multiple times, if Tim really wants the world to believe him when he says the App Store is about security, all he has to do to cut the legs out from under every single argument against him is just stop taking a commission on purchases in the store and IAPs.

Hasn't happened, of course. Because that's not what the App Store is about. That's never been what it was about.
 
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Mr. Awesome said:
It’s hard to imagine there aren’t talks at this point of Apple just removing iMessage functionality entirely in the EU as a flippant response. Sosumi.
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In a way this could be an interesting experiment. If they don't see much of a drop in sales after doing this maybe they'll realize they don't need to have exclusivity to imessage to retain iphone customers and eventually make it a multiplatform messaging app/service. Not having it on multiplatform is actually just as much an inconvenience to Apple users as it is Android users IMO.
 
WiiDSmoker said:
It’s like I’m living in some bizarro world reading these comments that are biasly ignoring the fact that Apple keeps MacOS secure while allowing other app stores and applications to be installed w/o their permission.
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I didn’t know macOS allows Facebook Messenger and Apple Messages to work interchangeably.

That’s what worries me about this DMA: I do not want to lose the security of Apple Messages and FaceTime because Meta and Google want all the biometrics and data.
 
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dynamojoe said:
Yes, you will be forced to sideload. As soon as you're required to have an app (for your job or school or whatever), and the only way to get it is to sideload, you'll have to sideload. Hopefully you'll only have to sideload an app, not an entire store just to get that app.
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That’s not being forced. Get a work phone or a school phone. They can’t force you to install anything on your private phone.
 
Tavicu said:
Many users on this forum knows how their iPhone works and they can choose if they want to Sideload or use another App store because they know how to make the difference.

But one thing many people don't think of is that we also buy iPhone for our parents, kids, grandparents, etc. Which they don't know exactly how technology works. Many of them just follow stupid steps to do things.

I remember when I was a kid that someone called me and provided all informations and told me it's from the phone carrier. Asked me to follow some steps and I did because I was a kid and didn't know at that time ...
Few minutes after I realised I just transferred 200 euros to a prepaid number ...
When there is a loophole some will be there to take advantage of it!
Click to expand...

Tech illiteracy has never been a valid excuse especially with the existence of the Mac. That's on the user to learn and git gud.
 
“New EU law tries to prop up local tech companies to compete with dominant foreign-based tech companies after EU changes tax laws and imposes fines to extort money from those foreign tech companies that created the ecosystems EU citizens love.”

So tired of EU regulation. It would almost be funny if the the big tech companies could afford to ban together and boycott the EU and leave them to getting access to US-based tech services via VPN and using the blackmarket to smuggle in US-made phones.

Somebody needs to regulate the EU. Nobody had to regulate Nokia to give Apple a shot at making a better mobile phone -- Nokia had a huge head start and failed to innovate. Garmin is busy running themselves into the ground -- they had many years head start on navigation and smart watches and they have already lost the mobile navigation battle to Google and they are relegated to a niche player in smart watches.
 
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This is good news. I honestly don't know how anyone can read that and be angry, upset, or scared. Well I can think of one reason...

Side loading is an absolute must. It's perfectly safe and if it scares you then maybe you should read what it is or just don't use it. That's an option.

Apple needs to make their services and software more open. This is a welcome move by the EU.
 
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Reactions: szabogabor10, NOATAK, Stunning_Sense4712 and 4 others
With subpar quality these days of Apples App Store it might be even more dangerous than the Android Google Play Store. So opening up might be even a good thing.
 
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The simple approach is just raise the price of the iPhone by a factor of three in Europe, and allow side loading. Via location info no phones sold in America would work in Europe. Soooo simple.
 
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