Apple must open iOS to third-party applications and payment systems – 22 services from IT giants fell under the EU law on digital markets

The European Commission has published a list of companies which it believes are the most dangerous in terms of market monopoly and which will be subject to increased scrutiny in the future. The list includes American Alphabet (Google’s parent company), Amazon, Apple, and Meta✴ Platforms and Microsoft, as well as the Chinese ByteDance (owner of TikTok). A total of six companies own 22 services that must comply with the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA) by March 2024.

Image source: European Commission

Broadly speaking, the DMA is an attempt by the European Union to curb the bargaining power of big tech companies. IT giants need to make their platforms more open and also compete in the marketplace solely on the merits of their products. For example, operating systems must allow third-party app stores to be installed, and owners of digital content distribution platforms must allow developers to use third-party payment systems in their products. For this reason, Apple, for example, must finally open iOS to third-party applications and payment systems. In the DMA, IT giants are described as the gatekeepers of the digital market, and the law itself aims to fight their monopoly.

The list of services that must comply with the DMA by March next year is as follows: social networks TikTok, Facebook✴Instagram✴ and LinkedIn, the messaging services WhatsApp and Facebook✴ Messenger, Google Maps, Google Shopping, Apple App Store, Amazon and Meta Marketplaces✴YouTube video hosting, Google, Amazon and Meta advertising services✴Chrome and Safari browsers, Google search engine and Android, iOS and Windows operating systems.

In a previous version of the document, the Samsung internet browser, the Bing search engine, and the Edge browser were included in this list. However, they were not included in the final version of the list. At the same time, the European Commission announced that it intends to carry out a market study, based on the results of which other services from large technology companies could be included in the list.