Apple’s iPad has joined the list of Big Tech products and services affected by strict new European Union rules aimed at curbing potential competitive abuses.
The move means Apple will have six months to ensure its tablet ecosystem complies with a range of preemptive measures under the EU’s key digital markets laws.
The company’s iOS mobile operating system, App Store and Safari browser are already subject to the law. But Apple has challenged the designation for certain services in the EU General Court in Luxembourg, where a hearing is expected to be held later this year.
EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said in a statement that the EU’s decision to include iPad within the scope of the DMA will ensure fairness and competition are maintained. She said that despite not meeting all of the assigned criteria, the investigation revealed that “iPadOS is a critical gateway that many businesses rely on to reach their customers.”
The decision is a loss for Cupertino, California-based Apple. Apple will have to adjust its operating system to meet a variety of new obligations and prohibitions, including allowing iPad users to download apps beyond Apple’s scope and remove them. It comes pre-loaded on your device.
An Apple spokesperson said the company remains focused on providing services for European consumers “while mitigating new privacy and data security risks posed by DMA.”
The EU’s DMA strikes at the heart of the business models of six of the world’s most powerful technology companies, which are seen as digital “gatekeepers.” Apple, Microsoft, Meta Platforms, Alphabet’s Google, Amazon.com and TikTok owner ByteDance have all been subject to new obligations aimed at preventing abuse of dominance.
The law, which went into effect on March 7, makes it illegal for designated companies to favor their services over those of their competitors. They are also prohibited from combining personal data across different services, are prohibited from competing using data collected from third-party sellers, and must allow users to download apps from competing platforms.
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