Just when Apple thought iOS was the only designated ‘gatekeeper’ in the European Union under the Digital Markets Act, the European Commission today also added iPadOS.
Apple now has six months to ensure iPadOS complies with DMA regulations, as it did with iOS and the App Store.
This decision follows a preliminary September 2023 designation of Apple as a gatekeeper for iOS, Safari, and the App Store. The Commission launched an investigation to determine if iPadOS should also be classified as a gatekeeper despite not meeting the DMA’s thresholds.
“The Digital Markets Act is a dynamic tool which allows us to tackle the realities of digital markets. Today, we have brought Apple’s iPadOS within the scope of the DMA obligations. Our market investigation showed that despite not meeting the thresholds, iPadOS constitutes an important gateway on which many companies rely to reach their customers,” said Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President in charge of competition policy, in a statement.
EU: "iPadOS, I'm coming for you" 😈 pic.twitter.com/TlLisp3qFE
— Beta Profiles (@BetaProfiles) April 29, 2024
The Commission concluded both end users and business users face difficulties in switching from iPadOS to alternative platforms.
“Today’s decision will ensure that fairness and contestability are preserved also on this platform, in addition to the 22 other services we designated last September. Apple has six months to make iPadOS compliant with the DMA,” she said.
For iOS and the App Store in the EU, Apple had to allow alternative distribution for apps, third-party payments and more. Looks like these changes will also need to come to the iPad in the EU, which naturally makes sense side the tablet is basically a larger iPhone at this point still.
This announcement comes ahead of Apple’s iPad event on May 7, plus WWDC in June, where the company is expected to unveil iPadOS 18 and more.
