The Morning After: The EU is already investigating Apple, Meta and Google over fees and defensive policies
We had the first wave of changes and tweaks to Apple, Google and other big tech companies' policies and services just before the EU's sweeping Digital Markets Act (DMA) took a harder line against monopolistic behaviors and practices. See: third-party app stores with Apple, the option to pay for Facebook (haha!), the ability to choose your own default browser, search engine, and more.
But the EU isn't quite satisfied. Alphabet and Apple, says the European Commission, have not sufficiently allowed app developers to steer' consumers to offers outside the gatekeepers' app stores, free of charge."
The EC says Alphabet might still be leading users to Google-owned services like Google Flights. Apple may not be allowing users meaningful choice in selecting alternatives to default iOS services or preferences, such as the ability to uninstall any preloaded app.
In January, Apple announced changes to the App Store to comply with the DMA, including the ability to use alternative app marketplaces on iOS in the EU. Included in Apple's updates was a new core technology fee" of 0.50 developers will have to pay per user per year after the first million installs of an app - even if a user downloads the software from a third-party marketplace. Many of Apple's rivals aren't happy about the App Store changes. Some criticized the company's fees for third-party payments in the US too.
- Mat Smith
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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-the-eu-is-already-investigating-apple-meta-and-google-over-fees-and-defensive-policies-113558285.html?src=rss