The European Union (EU) has announced a comprehensive regulation policy for tech giants, including the likes of Apple, Microsoft, and others. However, the iPadOS, produced by Apple, is under a significant spotlight because the EU has made it compulsory for it to comply with the DMA, short for the Digital Markets Act. Hence, numerous changes are thought to be observed in its functioning and performance.
Digital Markets Act
The Digital Markets Act is a set of regulatory frameworks that are primarily focused on establishing quality competition in this highly developed digital market. While some companies have made a solid worth, it is quite challenging for other enterprises to get into the news. Therefore, the DMA has given guidelines for digital marketing regulators to deal with the anti-competitive strategies opted for by the organizations. Hence, all startups will have equal chances to thrive for success. Previously, the DMA has focused on the iOS, App Store, and Safari. Nevertheless, the recent turn is towards the iPadOS.
iPadOS
The European Commission has officially given the designation of gatekeeper to iPadOS under the compliance of DMA. The decision is made on April 29, 2024. Although the iPadOS has failed to fulfil the quantitative requirements of the DMA, it has played an exceptional role in allowing businesses to expand their outreach to the targeted users. The EU Commission has investigated the implications of iPadOS and found that numerous companies are relying on iPadOS to approach their potential customers.
Commission’s Investigation
The European Commission has conducted thorough research and has found several implications and uses of iPadOS in the current digital marketing efforts. It has strengthened its position in this competitive landscape and has made the regulatory organizations generate warrants against it.
Apple is now going to have a deadline of 6 months to make sure that it can comply with DMA obligations and implement them on iPadOS. It involves strategies to promote fairness and competitiveness besides maintaining transparency. Margrethe Vestager, who is the current executive vice president and also responsible for competition policy, has ensured that the DMA can adapt to digital realities to maintain the competition.
Additionally, Thierry Breton has confirmed that the iPadOS is playing an extensive role in taking businesses to an advanced level. He has guaranteed that the European Commission is actively visualizing and investigating the services. In this way, it is finalizing if they can exhibit characteristics of important gateways.
Implications and Challenges
Apple has to align the iPadOS with the same standards as those designed for iOS. It will ultimately have negative impacts on app distribution as well as on in-app purchases. Hence, regulating iPadOS can influence the usage of tablets which will affect both consumers and developers. Moreover, the EU has made it compulsory to follow these regulatory changes which will create a significant shift in the tech regulation across the globe.
