The Regulatory Law of Digital Markets of the European Union will oblige Apple to carry out a series of adaptations in its devices and systems in order to continue marketing its products in this market. In addition to replacing the Lightning port with the USB-C connection on the next devices, Apple should soon end the exclusivity of installing applications on the iOS for the App Store.
Everything indicates that the company works to allow the download of apps through alternative paths (the practice known as sideload) starting with iOS 17 — the operating system to be presented at WWDC 2023, between June 5th and 9th.
What is the European Union Digital Markets Act
The measure to allow sideloading on iOS meets a requirement of the European Union’s Digital Markets Act for operating systems to provide alternatives for installing applications or even third-party app sources.
This law was proposed as a way to ensure a greater degree of competitiveness among market players and prevent the abuse of power by large companies, especially Big Techs. The list of obligations requires a series of compliances regarding portability, accessibility, data protection, among other sensitive points.
The EU Digital Markets Act entered into force on November 1, 2022 and will largely apply from May 2. Companies will then have until March 2024 to comply with all requirements. This calendar is what compels Apple to present alternatives to the App Store in the near future.
So far, Apple not only forces the download of apps through the official store, but also prevents the installation of external files — unless a jailbreak is performed, which entails the end of the right to warranty for iPhones and iPads. Meanwhile, Android users can use alternative app aggregators or download files with the APK extension to run on the phone.
Apple has long advocated installing apps exclusively through the App Store as a way to ensure the security of devices and the protection and privacy of users. The company’s CEO Tim Cook declared, in April last year, that releasing the sideload on iOS will have “profound consequences”.
