Bowing to tremendous regulatory pressure, Apple has made a historic shift – letting European iPhone users download software directly from third-party websites. This important step, expected to take effect this spring, represents a striking about-face for the corporation, which has steadfastly opposed the practice of “sideloading” due to cybersecurity and privacy concerns.
This policy upheaval is Apple’s latest attempt to please European authorities after the far-reaching Digital Markets Act (DMA) came into force earlier this month. The DMA intends to create competition by restricting business practices of big-tech “gatekeepers” like Apple. Failure to adhere could result in staggering fines of up to 10% of Apple’s global revenue—a potential penalty of around $40 billion.
In addition to permitting sideloading, Apple will let developers provide discounts and promotions to iPhone customers outside its rigorously controlled App Store environment, effective immediately.
These concessions follow Apple’s recent agreement to reinstate Epic Games’ ability to sell its app store to iPhone users in Europe after regulators hinted the company’s previous actions may have broken the DMA.
As regulatory scrutiny tightens, Apple’s hesitant adoption of sideloading in Europe reflects the rising pressure on big-tech titans to sacrifice their long-held dominance over their platforms for the sake of fair competition.
