On Monday 29 April, the European Commission announced that it had designated Apple’s iPad operating system for tablets (‘iPadOS’) as a gatekeeper under the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
The market investigation into the operating system was launched on 5 September 2023, when Apple’s Safari browser, AppStore and iOS were designated as gatekeepers in the first round of DMA designations (see EUROPE 13244/3).
For the Commission, Apple’s operating system for its tablets constrains users and does not give them the opportunity to make an “informed” choice.
It states that “Apple leverages its large ecosystem to disincentivise end users from switching to other operating systems for tablets”.
Business users are also locked-in to iPadOS, due to its “large and commercially attractive user base” and its importance for certain use cases, such as gaming apps.
This problem had already been denounced by EpicGames in March, which had accused Apple of knowingly restricting its developer account on the App Store and thus attempting to curb the emergence of alternatives to the AppStore’s unique model (see EUROPE 13367/13).
The designation of iPadOS as a gatekeeper requires Apple to ensure full compliance with the DMA obligations within six months. “Today’s decision will ensure that fairness and contestability are preserved also on this platform, in addition to the 22 other services we designated last September”, welcomed Commission Vice-President Margrethe Vestager. (Original version in French by Isalia Stieffatre)