The European Commission investigates Apple’s actions concerning Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) in iOS 17.4, questioning the move’s compliance with the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Apple’s decision to disable certain PWA features in the EU, citing security concerns and DMA requirements, faces scrutiny and pushback from app developers.
Brussels will stick its nose into Apple’s affairs. After the company disabled certain features of its OS, supposedly to comply with European rules, regulators are investigating.
It was only a matter of time. After Apple’s much-criticized “compliance” with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) , the European Commission has decided to stick its nose into the company’s affairs to check whether the iPhone manufacturer is complying with the new directive of the European Union for opening up to competition.
Apple is Playing With Fire
The investigation recently opened by member state commissioners particularly concerns the fate that Apple has reserved for Progressive Web Apps (PWA) in the latest version of its mobile operating system, iOS 17.4. Citing “complex security and privacy issues”, Apple has in fact disabled the ability to pin these applications to the home screen of iPhones and iPads in Europe, transforming them into vulgar shortcuts to web pages. As per clubic, the European Commission has launched an investigation into this matter.
A technical decision which does not seem entirely to the taste of the EU, since the Commission explained to the Financial Times that it was “looking particularly at the case of PWAs” and had “sent requests for information to Apple and application developers who could provide us with useful information to better understand the situation”.
These web applications being a popular way to escape the commission that Apple takes on its App Store (and the new tax imposed on developers in Europe), it is a safe bet that the European Commission will not let Apple quietly maneuver as it wishes, the DMA being precisely designed to break the monopolistic rules that “gatekeepers” like Apple have been able to put in place over the years. The Commission also specifies that it is in the process of assessing the compliance solutions of “all access controllers, including Apple”.
EU Investigates Apple’s Decision to Discontinue iPhone Web Apps
As per theverge, the European Commission has reportedly sent Apple and app developers requests for more information to assist in its evaluation.
“We are indeed looking at the compliance packages of all gatekeepers, including Apple,” the European Commission says in a statement to The Verge provided by spokesperson Lea Zuber. “In that context, we’re in particular looking into the issue of progressive web apps, and can confirm sending the requests for information to Apple and to app developers, who can provide useful information for our assessment.”
Earlier this month, Apple confirmed it will no longer support iPhone web apps in the EU in iOS 17.4. Instead of functioning as standalone apps with storage and the ability to send push notifications, web apps in the EU will work more like bookmarks. The company blames the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) as the primary reason for the change, as it requires Apple to allow full support for third-party browser engines , not just Safari’s WebKit.
Introducing web app support for other browsers would require the company to build “an entirely new integration architecture” that it says “was not practical to undertake given the other demands of the DMA.” The company also cites “very low user adoption” and potential security risks as reasons for the change.
App developers are pushing back on the discontinuation of web apps. Open Web Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that advocates for the open web, is conducting a survey to see how the change will impact developers. It plans on sending the responses to the European Commission.
