Apple’s iPad operating system, iPadOS, has recently been designated as a Gatekeeper service under the European Commission’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) rules. This designation comes after an almost eight-month investigation into whether iPadOS holds enough market power to warrant stricter regulation.
According to the Commission, Apple now has six months to ensure full compliance with the DMA obligations applied to iPadOS. This means that iPadOS will have to comply with a broad range of rules, including allowing users in Europe to download apps from sources other than the Apple App Store, uninstall preloaded apps on iPads, and choose default services like browsers from choice screens.
Failure to comply with the DMA rules for operating systems could result in fines for Apple. The company could face fines of up to 10 percent of its global revenue, or up to 20 percent for repeat infractions. The Commission’s investigation found that iPadOS users are locked into the platform, with a significant number of business users exceeding the gatekeeper threshold.
The designation of iPadOS as a Gatekeeper service is a significant development for Apple’s ecosystem. While iOS, Safari browser, and the App Store have already been designated as Gatekeeper services under the DMA, most of the compliance changes Apple made for iOS have not been extended to iPadOS. This latest ruling on iPadOS is seen as another crack in the walled garden of Apple’s ecosystem.
The European Commission’s announcement regarding iPadOS comes just before Apple’s next event on May 7th. This event is expected to showcase new iPads, including a long-rumored OLED model. The timing of the Commission’s decision adds an interesting layer of complexity to Apple’s upcoming product announcements. It remains to be seen how Apple will navigate these new regulations and their impact on the iPadOS platform.
Overall, the designation of iPadOS as a Gatekeeper service under the DMA represents a significant shift in the regulatory landscape for Apple in Europe. As the company works to ensure compliance with the new rules, the broader implications for competition, innovation, and consumer choice within Apple’s ecosystem will continue to unfold.