Last week, Apple unveiled several modifications to the App Store and iPhone within the European Union. These changes are being made to comply with the Digital Markets Act. In a recent interview, Apple Fellow Phil Schiller expressed serious apprehensions about the implications of these changes. He acknowledged that while the alterations offer new options for developers, they also introduce new risks. Schiller stated, “These new rules, although they bring new options to manufacturers, they also bring new risks. There is no way around that. So we are doing everything we can to reduce these risks for everyone.”
Opening the iPhone to third-party app markets also means allowing features that were previously disallowed by Apple. Schiller explained, “At the end of the day, there are things that we didn’t allow on our App Store — things that we didn’t think were safe or appropriate. It would not be our decision if the four markets have the same restrictions.” He highlighted the increased risk to users, commenting, “For more than 15 years, we have dealt with a lot of suggestions from families, from governments, about things we should do to avoid allowing certain types of questionable content on our App Store, or give users the power over the experience to decide what’s best for them – and we have rules about that. These rules do not apply to other markets unless they choose to make their own rules, [with] whatever they come up with. Does this increase the risk of users, and families, having inappropriate products or other activities? Yes, it does.”
Schiller expressed specific concerns about software that will only be accessible through third-party app markets, worrying that it may compel many users to accept the market without adequate knowledge about it. The full interview is available on Fast Company. Follow Chance: Thread, Twitter, Instagram, and Mastodon. FTC: We use affiliate links to make money. More information.
