In one of the most unsavory moves in Apple's history, the company is working to support not only sideloading apps, but also third-party app stores in the iPhone and iPad. Thanks to a report by Markus Germuntus at Bloomberg, we've learned that Apple is once again forced to change operations due to EU legislation - this time it's the App Store:
"Software engineering and services employees are engaged in a major push to open up key elements of Apple’s platforms, according to people familiar with the efforts. As part of the changes, customers could ultimately download third-party software to their iPhones and iPads without using the company’s App Store, sidestepping Apple’s restrictions and the up-to-30% commission it imposes on payments."
These massive changes are, of course, the result of years of work by lawmakers in the European Union - thanks in large part to the passage of the Digital Markets Act, which aims to provide a level playing field for smaller third-party developers and improve the digital landscape in these markets. Regulators, software developers and many others have complained that Google and Apple wield far too much power with their respective app stores, and the Digital Markets Act aims to put a stop to that.
In the near future, we could see a whole new set of iPhone and iPad apps that can access systems that Apple's App Store-bound apps could never have dreamed of due to the restrictive nature of the ecosystem.
Currently, Apple's planned sideloading efforts are only for European markets due to the localization of the legislation; however, it's clear that Apple is no longer invincible to the whims of governments. All it will take for the iPhone and iPad to gain such flexibility in the U.S. is the passage of similar legislation.
The new EU Digital Markets Act, which just went into effect on November 1, provides that Apple could face a fine of up to 20% of the company's worldwide revenue for violations of these laws.
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