iPhone users in this region are now allowed to uninstall the App Store and Safari browser
Apple will allow iPhone and iPad users in the European Union to delete the App Store or Safari browser, the tech giant told developers on Thursday.
Apple has long fiercely defended its App Store as the only gateway for digital content onto its popular mobile devices, and the change comes as the company loosens its grip on devices in the EU under the bloc’s landmark new digital rules.
“Users in the EU can delete the App Store, Messages, Camera, Photos, and Safari apps,” Apple said on its developer support page.
“Only Settings and Phone cannot be deleted.”
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According to Apple, the feature will also include a special section that allows iPhone or iPad users to manage default settings for the browser, messages, phone calls, and other features.
“Because browser engines are constantly exposed to untrusted and potentially harmful content and can see sensitive user data, they are one of the most common attack vectors for malicious actors,” the iPhone maker said.
“To help keep users safe online, Apple will only allow developers to deploy alternative browser engines after meeting specific criteria and committing to a number of ongoing privacy and security requirements, including timely security updates to address emerging threats and vulnerabilities.”
Previously, app makers had to use Apple’s payment system on the App Store, and the tech giant would receive a cut of the transaction.
But the EU said the terms prevented app developers from freely steering consumers toward alternative payment methods, making Apple the first tech company to face charges of violating the new law called the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
Last month, Apple promised to make changes to comply with the DMA and address the findings of the European Commission, the EU’s powerful antitrust regulator.
From the fall, Apple said developers in the EU “can communicate and promote purchase offers” wherever they want, for example through an alternative app marketplace.
This change includes a new fee structure for customers who link out of the app to receive offers and content.
The Commission told AFP it “will assess Apple’s final changes to its compliance measures, taking into account any feedback from the market, in particular from developers”.
The DMA gives Big Tech a list of what they can and cannot do to increase competition in the digital space. For example, they must provide choice screens for web browsers and search engines to give users more choice.
The law gives the EU the power to impose heavy fines.
Apple isn’t the only company targeted by the DMA. Google parent Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and TikTok owner ByteDance are also subject to compliance.
Online travel giant Booking.com will have to comply by the end of the year, while the commission is also assessing whether tech billionaire Elon Musk’s X should also be subject to the rules.
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