Close Menu
Technology Mag

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

    What's Hot

    Version History is live — here’s how to find it

    October 5, 2025

    The best lists to keep — and the best ways to keep them

    October 5, 2025

    Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin Wins Contract to Take NASA Rover to the Moon

    October 5, 2025
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Subscribe
    Technology Mag
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
    • Home
    • News
    • Business
    • Games
    • Gear
    • Reviews
    • Science
    • Security
    • Trending
    • Press Release
    Technology Mag
    Home » Apple Could Be the First Target of Europe’s Tough New Tech Law
    Business

    Apple Could Be the First Target of Europe’s Tough New Tech Law

    News RoomBy News RoomMarch 8, 20243 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Reddit WhatsApp Email

    Europe changed the rules of the internet this week when the Digital Markets Act took effect, holding the biggest tech companies to tough new standards. Now the world is waiting to see which giant will be first to fall foul of the law. One of the architects of the DMA says Apple is a strong candidate for the first formal investigation, describing the company as “low-hanging fruit.”

    Apple has faced intensifying pressure in recent years from competitors, regulators, and courts in both Europe and the US over the restrictions it places on appmakers who must rely on its App Store to reach millions of users. Yesterday Apple terminated the developer account of Fortnite publisher Epic Games, which has challenged the company in US courts and recently announced its intention to launch a rival to the Apple App Store.

    German MEP Andreas Schwab, who led the negotiations that finalized the DMA on behalf of the EU Parliament, says that makes Apple a likely first target for noncompliance. “[This] gives me a very clear expectation that they want to be the first,” he tells WIRED. “Apple’s approach is a bit weird on all this and therefore it’s low-hanging fruit.”

    Schwab is not involved in enforcement of the DMA. That’s overseen by the European Commission, which has already demanded “further explanation” as to why Apple terminated Epic’s account and is evaluating whether this violates the DMA.

    “Apple’s approach to the Digital Markets Act was guided by two simple goals: complying with the law and reducing the inevitable, increased risks the DMA creates for our EU users,” says the company in a statement sent to WIRED by Apple spokesperson Rob Saunders. Apple has said on its website that alternative app stores carry the risk of malware, illicit code, and other harmful content.

    The DMA’s rules that aim to “break open” tech platforms require Apple to allow iPhone users to download apps from places other than Apple’s official App Store. The Epic Games Store, announced in January, intended to be launched by the Fortnite-maker Epic, would have been the first alternative app store to take advantage of the new system.

    Apple tells WIRED it had the right to terminate Epic’s accounts according to a 2021 California court ruling. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney has been a vocal critic of what he styles as Apple’s “app store monopoly” for years, although in January, in a victory for the smartphone maker, the US Supreme Court denied a request to hear the latest episode in a lengthy antitrust dispute between the two companies.

    The DMA went into force at midnight on March 7 in Brussels—3 pm in Silicon Valley. From that moment, six of the world’s biggest tech companies—Apple, Alphabet, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, and TikTok’s Beijing-based owner ByteDance—must comply with a suite of new rules designed to improve competition in digital markets.

    In addition to Apple having to allow outside apps, Microsoft Windows will no longer have Microsoft-owned Bing as its default search tool; users of Meta’s WhatsApp will be able to communicate with people on rival messaging apps; and Google and Amazon will have to tweak their search results to create more room for rivals. Companies that don’t comply with the new rules can be fined up to 20 percent of their global turnover.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleFlorida teens arrested for creating “deepfake” AI nude images of classmates
    Next Article Fortnite has been down all day, and the outage isn’t over

    Related Posts

    China Rolls Out Its First Talent Visa as the US Retreats on H-1Bs

    October 3, 2025

    OpenAI’s New Sora App Lets You Deepfake Yourself for Entertainment

    October 3, 2025

    This AI-Powered Robot Keeps Going Even if You Attack It With a Chainsaw

    October 3, 2025

    Chatbots Play With Your Emotions to Avoid Saying Goodbye

    October 3, 2025

    Exclusive: Mira Murati’s Stealth AI Lab Launches Its First Product

    October 2, 2025

    Why One VC Thinks Quantum Is a Bigger Unlock Than AGI

    October 1, 2025
    Our Picks

    The best lists to keep — and the best ways to keep them

    October 5, 2025

    Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin Wins Contract to Take NASA Rover to the Moon

    October 5, 2025

    This week’s best deal is a ‘kids’ Kindle Paperwhite that’s better than the adult version

    October 4, 2025

    Breaking up (Google) is hard to do

    October 4, 2025
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Vimeo
    Don't Miss
    News

    Ecovacs’ Deebot X8 and X9 Pro Omni robovacs have hit a new low price

    By News RoomOctober 4, 2025

    Robot vacuums that mop well rarely come cheap, but thankfully, some of our favorite models…

    Instagram wants me to make content — I just want to post a photo

    October 4, 2025

    Acer’s latest Spin 514 is so close to Chromebook greatness

    October 4, 2025

    Coke Designed a Plastic Bottle to Sell the World More Soda

    October 4, 2025
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of use
    • Advertise
    • Contact
    © 2025 Technology Mag. All Rights Reserved.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.