EU antitrust regulators looking to counter any pushback from Apple, Google over new tech rules

European Union (EU) antitrust regulators have commissioned a study into mobile ecosystems to help them counter any pushback from Apple and Alphabet’s Google in complying with new tech rules, reports Reuters.

The Digital Markets Act (DMA), which became applicable in May, forces Apple and Google to allow for third-party apps or app stores on their iOS and Android devices, and to make it easier for users to switch from default apps to rivals. They will also have to let users install apps from outside their app stores, a move which Apple said would make phones the target of malware or hijacking by cybercriminals, notes Reuters.

Apple is opposed to the DMA. In March 2022, the tech giant told ABC News that “it was concerned that parts of the Digital Markets Act “will create unnecessary privacy and security vulnerabilities for our users while others will prohibit us from charging for intellectual property in which we invest a great deal.”

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.”