App Store to be ‘split in two’ before EU iPhone sideloading deadline
The March deadline for Apple to allow app sideloading is nearing, and the iPhone maker has a plan to split the App Store “in two” in the coming weeks, reports Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, to enable Apple to comply with the European Union’s requirements for allowing iPhone users to use alternative app stores on their devices.
Gurman explain in the latest edition of his “Power On” weekly newsletter that Apple is readying adjustments to the App Store that will comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), bringing changes that will include splitting off the App Store in the EU from the rest of the world, allowing users to download third-party apps on their devices without using the Apple-owned App Store.
The Digital Markets Act (DMA) of the European Union mandates that “gatekeeper” entities, in this instance, the App Store, must facilitate access to their services and platforms for other companies and developers.
Apple contends that the practice of sideloading could jeopardise the privacy and security safeguards crucial for iPhone users, exposing them to potential risks such as malware, scams, and unauthorised data tracking. Despite this position, Apple is obligated to adhere to the DMA, as non-compliance could result in fines up to 20 percent of its global revenue, should the EU regulations be breached.