Apple appears willing to comply with EU antitrust laws and allow iOS users to install apps from sources outside the App Store. Confirmation of this was found in the iOS 17.2 beta code.
According to 9to5mac, the Managed App Distribution software platform was discovered in iOS 17.2. Initially, experts assumed that this API was related to the enterprise application installation function, but analysis showed that the API had a declared extension endpoint in the system. This means that other applications can create extensions of this type.
Additionally, a new permission was discovered in the system that gives third-party apps the right to install apps. That is, developers will be able to create their own application stores.
The new API has basic controls for downloading, installing and even updating applications from external sources. You can also check if an app is compatible with a specific device or version of iOS, something the App Store already does.
At the same time, the publication discovered a region lock in the API. This means that Apple will only allow the use of the platform in certain countries. For example, in the European Union, where local legislation requires the corporation to allow the download of third-party applications on iOS.
In November 2022, the EU passed the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which aims to reduce the ability of IT giants to use their dominant market position to stifle competition. One of the legal requirements requires companies to allow users to download applications from any source.
This spring, the Ministry of Digital Development announced a similar bill for Russia.
Author:
Akhmed Sadulayev
Source: RB
I am a professional journalist and content creator with extensive experience writing for news websites. I currently work as an author at Gadget Onus, where I specialize in covering hot news topics. My written pieces have been published on some of the biggest media outlets around the world, including The Guardian and BBC News.
