In what can generously be described as a reserved press release today, Apple laid out forthcoming changes to comply with new EU regulations, allowing developers more flexibility in payment processing and app distribution on iOS while implementing safeguards to mitigate security risks. Though Apple maintains its priority is protecting user experience, the legally required adjustments mark a notable shift for the company long known for its closed ecosystems, tightly controlled App Store, and emphasis on privacy. While framed as an obligatory concession, the move opens Apple to new competitive forces within the massive EU market.
Apple’s release is chockablock with things like this:
Across every change, Apple is introducing new safeguards that reduce — but don’t eliminate — new risks the DMA poses to EU users. With these steps, Apple will continue to deliver the best, most secure experience possible for EU users.
Apple is full of incredibly bright people on the verge of releasing a mind-blowing new technology in the Vision Pro that purports to be the foundation for the next generation of computing. They can do that, but they can’t authentically say that they’ve solved the security challenges on iOS that have been resolved on macOS for years? I don’t buy it, and I don’t think anyone else does either. It shines a klieg light on the division between vested interests inside the organization and externally across the development landscape beyond it.
Again, generously, maybe navigating the changes required to align the global footprint to align with the DMA takes time. If that’s the case, communication here is clumsy at best. Critically, Apple is at its best when it marches ahead of the adaptation curve, not dragged along behind it. And it stinks to be on the sideline watching the company consistently come across as manipulative, spiteful, and greedy in this area.