In an announcement, the European Union says that Apple must ensure its operating system iPadOS complies with all the relevant obligations under the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
In April 2024, the European Commission has added Apple’s iPadOS to the list of core platform services for which Apple is designated as gatekeeper.
According to the announcement, Apple must allow users to set the default web browser of their choice on iPadOS, allow alternative app stores on its operating system, and allow accessory devices, like headphones and smart pens, to effectively access iPadOS features.
On November 1, Apple published a compliance report detailing the measures it’s taken for iPadOS to comply with the DMA. The public version of the report is accessible on the European Commission’s DMA webpage.
The Commission says it will now carefully assess whether the measures adopted for iPadOS are effective in complying with the DMA obligations. If it concludes that Apple’s solutions are not compliant with the DMA, it “will take formal enforcement action as foreseen in the DMA.”
The DMA is designed to “ensure fair competition in the digital marketplace.”
The EU is a political and economic union of 28 member states that are located primarily in Europe. Its policies aim “to ensure the free movement of people, goods, services, and capital within the internal market, enact legislation in justice and home affairs, and maintain common policies on trade, agriculture, fisheries, and regional development.”
The European Commission is the primary executive arm of the European Union.
