With just weeks to go before the compliance deadline, Apple is reportedly preparing a workaround to retain the walled garden around its App Store and its ecosystem as a whole. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the tech giant could possibly split its app store into two; one that retains the status quo and another that’s region-locked to the European Union in order to comply with the impending Digital Markets Act (DMA).
For context, the DMA will require the world’s largest company to allow users to sideload apps on its devices. The deadline for Apple to comply with the new law is 7 March 2024, which gives the company less than two months to actually enact the needed changes. Within this short window, Gurman claims that the App Store in the EU might split off as its own platform separate from the one used globally.
This development is something that Gurman predicted last year, although nothing has officially been confirmed by the Cupertino-based firm as of now. Last week, the European Union’s antitrust chief, Margrethe Vestager, apparently reminded CEO Tim Cook during a meeting of Apple’s obligation to comply with the DMA requirements such as sideloading and allowing users to install third-party app stores.
Apple will also be required to allow developers to promote their apps and services outside of the App Store and even use third-party payment systems. Moreover, the DMA might force the company to enact other changes to open up its ecosystem that could affect how its NFC payment technology, FaceTime, and Siri work in Europe.
