Bloomberg He says that Apple, in a predictable move, plans to remove the App Store and iMessage from the list of Gatekeeper platforms by protesting to the European Union, so that these two platforms are not affected by the Digital Markets Act.
The European Union has considered the App Store and iMessage among the exclusive services of concierge platforms, which will require Apple to make changes such as the activation of various payment systems and sideload applications.
Apple previously said that “the iMessage service in Europe is not large enough to qualify for the new rules.” The MacBook maker wants to object to the inclusion of iMessage in the Concierge platform list with the same reasoning. Apple also discusses what part of the App Store is covered by the Digital Markets Act.
Apple’s appeal has not yet been officially filed. The deadline for companies to protest is next Thursday, November 16 (November 25). Apple will likely file its request before that deadline.
Whether the appeal is valid or not, it does not delay the implementation of the rules. The Digital Markets Law requires Apple to adapt its services to the new laws by March 2024 (March 1402 and April 1403).
Earlier this week, Apple admitted in a filing that it plans to make changes that will fundamentally affect the App Store’s business model.
Late last year, it was reported that Apple engineers were preparing to adapt to the new rules, and software changes were planned for iOS 17. This includes support for various app stores for iPhone and iPad users, at least in the EU. iOS 17 is currently not equipped with such a feature.
