Alternative app stores coming to iOS in the EU.

The EU’s DMA rules came into force earlier this year and beginning September 16th, Apple will be allowing alternative app stores to appear on iOS within the EU.

To set my position nice and early, I don’t understand why the European Union feels the need to involve themselves with how international companies operate. No consumer is forced to use an Apple device (employees may be different, but there are many company-specific requirements an employee is faced with), and the fact that Apple is the market leader with these devices is - primarily - because they’re the best devices at what they do. If a consumer does not like Apple, their devices, how they market or enforce their own rules then they are welcome to find an alternative solution. That in my mind seems to make the most sense.

It’s also worrying when EU regulators take a very early stance on technology that we don’t yet understand well enough. It is far too early to regulate AI as the potential cost to innovation. Monitor, and ensure it stays within current law, yes. But if the smartest minds in AI research don’t yet know how the world will look in the future, I have a hard time imaging that EU policy makers do.

Anyway, back to alternative app stores. Perhaps it’s a good thing that there’s competition here. How Apple runs the App Store isn’t to everyone’s taste. There are many apps that simply aren’t allowed, and we’ve already seen some novel introductions through these alternative app stores such as device emulators. Again - fewer restrictions often opens up some interesting solutions that didn’t otherwise fit the expectations. We always want people pushing the boundaries with technology - the early days of jailbreaking iOS devices was fascinating to watch and at times join in with.

Ultimately though, Apple is a private company and no developer is forced to build an app for iOS, as no consumer is forced to buy them. Yes, they have the largest market, and yes their terms of engagement with developers feels harsh. But those - in my mind - are the terms of doing business with that market. If I want to sell widgets to UK consumers I have to abide by UK commerce laws. If I want to sell to Apple consumers, I have to abide by their terms, too. Do we need the EU - not even a global entity, making this even worse with different rules in different regions - to add another layer here?

I feel it important to finish this post by saying that this personal blog is simply my own thoughts. These thoughts aren’t necessarily fully formed, and opinions not always strongly held. I don’t have all the answers and often haven’t done hours of research into all sides of a topic or debate. I love conversation and debate, and seeing things from the other sides, and very often my views change to incorporate these conversations. The whole point of re-starting this blog is to share how I see the world and over time evolve and improve my thinking, and therefore my writing. The more honest discourse shared, the better.