Apple’s iPad has been added to the by the EU’s DMA rules, . The European Commission has officially under the DMA, alongside the Safari web browser, the iOS operating system and the App Store. The organization states that users are basically “locked-in” to Apple’s iPadOS ecosystem and that it disincentivizes people from switching to competitors. The company has six months to comply with various preemptive measures.
This follows a months-long investigation into iPadOS to decide whether or not it qualifies as gatekeeper software. “iPadOS constitutes an important gateway on which many companies rely to reach their customers”, wrote Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President in charge of competition policy at the European Commission. “Today’s decision will ensure that fairness and contestability are preserved also on this platform.”
What does Apple have to do to ensure iPadOS compliance? According to the DMA, gatekeepers are prohibited from favoring their own services over rivals and from locking users into the ecosystem. The software must also allow third parties to interoperate with internal services, which is why on iPhones in Europe. The iPad, presumably, will soon follow suit. In other words, the DMA is lobbing some serious stink bombs .
In a statement , Apple said it “will continue to constructively engage with the European Commission” to ensure its designated services comply with the DMA, including iPadOS. The company isn’t exactly pleased, however, and has accused the legislation of creating “new privacy and data security risks.” To that end, Apple to the EU’s General Court in Luxembourg, with hearings set to take place later this year.
In happier tablet news for Apple, the company recently to showcase new iPads. We’re likely to see an OLED iPad Pro and new iPad Air, in addition to updated peripherals.
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