Starting this year, Apple is obliged to comply with the requirements of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) in the European Union. Not only the EU Commission, but also the European Consumer Organization (BEUC) is now criticizing that it has not done enough: “Gatekeeper” Apple is not complying with the rules sufficiently with its iPhone and iPad platforms. In an analysis by the BEUC Some key points called.
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Much criticism from BEUC
The paper also covers and criticizes Meta, Google, Amazon, TikTok’s parent company ByteDance, and Microsoft. However, Apple’s violations discovered by BEUC are particularly highlighted. Apple still makes it too difficult for users to change default apps, the so-called browser options screen for selecting the main browser does not contain enough information and is too complicated, the language for users who want to choose non-Apple apps is “not neutral” and even “appalling to the customer”.
Finally, there is no option to remove the central apps to replace them with other apps. The biggest point of criticism: Apple still has not sent a sufficient “compliance report” to the EU Commission, it has partially slowed down the DMA implementation and is therefore guilty of a “gross violation” of the DMA.
Apple has already responded to some extent
The BEUC represents almost all national consumer protection institutions in the EU. These include the Federal Association of Consumer Organisations (vzbv) and Stiftung Warentest in Germany, CLCV in France and FK in Poland. Switzerland, Iceland and Norway are also part of the EEA.
However, the BEUC paper is not fully up to date. Apple has now announced a whole series of adjustments to its DMA compliance. This includes the ability to set significantly more default apps, including telephony, passwords, translation, messaging, keyboard and telephony. In addition, the browser selection screen has been improved and many other apps, including the App Store, Camera, Photos and even the Safari and Messages apps, can be removed from the device. An alternative browser is now prominently placed on the home screen. However, not all of these changes are activated in a timely manner. Although some things should be done in September with iOS 18, further features will not be available until late 2024.
(B.Sc.)
