Installing applications on the iPhone outside the App Store will be a reality in Europe

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The European Union does not stop causing headaches for Apple. First it was the obligation to use a USB Type C connector on your equipment, eliminating the Lightning models from the equation. And now, it seems that the App Store is going to have rivals. It is not the first time that the European Commission accuses Apple of monopoly since the only way to install apps on the manufacturer’s devices is through its own application store. Although this will change very soon. This is what emerges from the new Digital Markets Law and that will force Apple to allow users of their phones and tablets to install applications on the iPhone or iPad through external stores. Yes, the alternatives to the App Store arrive. The EU Digital Markets Law (LMD) entered into force on November 1. As indicated in this regulation, “The LMD defines the moment in which a large online platform can be classified as an “access gatekeeper”. These are digital platforms that constitute an important access gateway between professional users and consumers, whose position can give them the power to act as a private regulator and, therefore, generate a bottleneck in the digital economy. To solve these problems, the LMD will define a series of obligations that the gatekeepers must respect and, in particular, the prohibition that they develop certain behaviors. “ For example, companies like Apple will have to facilitate competition in their ecosystems so that other application stores can reach beyond the App Store. It should be noted that this rule came into force on November 1, but until May 2, 2023, the company with the bitten apple will not be obliged to apply it to its devices. But, without a doubt, the new Digital Markets Law is excellent news for users of an Apple computer. Until now, the company with the bitten apple only allowed you to install apps from its own store, which significantly limited the use you could make of your phone or tablet. A very tight control by Apple and that, with the new Digital Markets Law already in force in Europe, it will have to change its policy to adapt to this new regulation of the European Union. Therefore, as of May 2, Apple and other companies considered by the Digital Markets Law as “Access Guardians” must allow third-party stores and the possibility that any application can be installed and uninstalled, even those that are pre-installed. >

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