On April 29th, the European Commission made a ruling stating that Apple’s iPadOS, the operating system used for its tablets, will now be classified as a gatekeeper under the Digital Markets Act. Consequently, Apple is required to adhere to the Act’s newly implemented stringent regulations.
The commission has granted Apple a six-month period to ensure compliance with iPadOS. According to the commission, the operating system’s business user numbers surpass its quantitative threshold by a factor of eleven, while end-user numbers fall just short but are anticipated to increase.
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According to the commission, Apple’s end users are unable to easily switch to other operating systems for tablets due to the strong loyalty and appeal of iPadOS. This holds true not only for individual consumers but also for business users who are drawn to the extensive and commercially advantageous user base of iPadOS.
“Our market investigation revealed that although iPadOS does not meet the specified thresholds, it plays a crucial role as a gateway for many companies to connect with their customers,” stated Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice President responsible for competitive policy at the European Commission.
“The decision made today will guarantee the preservation of fairness and competition on this platform, while also ensuring compliance with the DMA.”
The European Commission has been intensifying its efforts to regulate large tech companies with the implementation of the Digital Markets Act. In a recent development, they have announced a further crackdown on these companies. In March, Alphabet was found to be in noncompliance for directing customers towards their own products in Google Play and practicing self-preferencing in Google Search.
Alphabet, Google’s parent company, along with Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Meta (the parent company of Facebook), and Microsoft, have all been labeled as gatekeeper sites. As gatekeepers, they are required to comply with DMA rules that aim to promote fair competition.
