Apple Files Legal Challenge Against EU Law as Sideloading Requirement Looms

Apple today filed a legal challenge against the European Union's Digital Markets Act ahead of the impending requirement to enable app sideloading on its devices (via Reuters).

European Commisssion
The Digital Markets Act (DMA), which came into effect on November 1, 2022, requires "gatekeeper" companies to open up their services and platforms to other companies and developers. The DMA will have a significant impact on Apple's platforms and it could result in the company being forced to make major changes to the ‌App Store‌, Messages, FaceTime, Siri, and more. For example, Apple will be obliged to enable users to "sideload" apps from outside the ‌App Store‌. The company appears to have already put preparations in place to acquiesce to this demand in early 2024.

Apple's new legal case takes issue with specific decisions taken by the European Commission under the DMA, but the exact details of the challenge have not yet been publicized. The case is expected to include an argument against the ‌App Store‌ being included on the EU's list of gatekeeper platforms, which requires app sideloading to be an option to allow users to avoid the ‌App Store‌ if they wish. In a statement at the time, Apple told Bloomberg, "We remain very concerned about the privacy and data security risks the DMA poses for our users." Meta and TikTok have filed similar appeals disputing the European Commission's inclusion of their services.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock Light

iOS 19 Leak Reveals All-New Design

Friday January 17, 2025 2:42 pm PST by
iOS 19 is still around six months away from being announced, but a new leak has allegedly revealed a completely redesigned Camera app. Based on footage it obtained, YouTube channel Front Page Tech shared a video showing what the new Camera app will apparently look like, with the key change being translucent menus for camera controls. Overall, the design of these menus looks similar to...
2024 App Store Awards

Apple Explains Why It Removed TikTok From the App Store in the U.S.

Sunday January 19, 2025 6:58 am PST by
Apple on late Saturday removed TikTok from the App Store in the U.S., and it has now explained why it was required to take this action. Last year, the U.S. passed a law that required Chinese company ByteDance to divest its ownership of TikTok due to potential national security risks, or else the platform would be banned. That law went into effect today, and companies like Apple and Google...
iPhone 17 Air Size Feature

'iPhone 17 Air' With Rear Camera Bar Allegedly Shown in Leaked Photo

Tuesday January 21, 2025 12:46 pm PST by
A leaker known as "Majin Bu" today shared an alleged image of a component for the rumored, ultra-thin "iPhone 17 Air" model. The blurry, pixelated image shows a pair of rear iPhone shells with a pill-shaped, raised camera bar along the top. On the left side of the bar, there is a circular cutout that appears to be for a single rear camera. On the right side of the bar, there appears to be an ...
iPhone SE Dynamic Island Majin Bu

iPhone SE 4 Leak Shows Dynamic Island, Casts Doubt on Rumored 'iPhone 16E' Name

Monday January 20, 2025 9:01 am PST by
A new iPhone SE is widely rumored to launch this year, and the device has potentially been confirmed today by known leaker Evan Blass. In a private social media post, Blass shared an image of what appears to be source code mentioning an iPhone SE (4th Gen), which casts doubt on the alternative "iPhone 16E" name rumored for the device. However, the name in the source code could be a...
airtag 4 pack blue

AirTag 2 Launching This Year With These 3 New Features

Sunday January 19, 2025 8:11 am PST by
After a four-year wait, a new AirTag is finally expected to launch in 2025. Below, we recap rumored upgrades for the accessory. A few months ago, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple was aiming to release the AirTag 2 around the middle of 2025. While he did not offer a more specific timeframe, that means the AirTag 2 could be announced by the end of June. The original AirTag was announced...
iOS 19 Roundup Feature

iOS 19 Rumored to Be Compatible With These iPhones

Saturday January 18, 2025 10:28 am PST by
iOS 19 will not drop support for any iPhone models, according to French website iPhoneSoft.fr. The report cited a source who said iOS 19 will be compatible with any iPhone that can run iOS 18, which would mean the following models: iPhone 16 iPhone 16 Plus iPhone 16 Pro iPhone 16 Pro Max iPhone 15 iPhone 15 Plus iPhone 15 Pro iPhone 15 Pro Max iPhone 14 iPhon...
apple power beats pro 2

Powerbeats Pro 2 Coming Soon: Apple to Announce Them 'Imminently'

Sunday January 19, 2025 8:25 am PST by
In September, Apple said that it would be launching Powerbeats Pro 2 in 2025, and it appears the wireless earbuds are coming very soon. Powerbeats Pro 2 images found in iOS 18 code In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the Powerbeats Pro 2 are "due imminently." In addition to Apple filing the Powerbeats Pro 2 in regulatory databases last month, Gurman said Apple is...
Generic iOS 18

Everything New in iOS 18.3 Beta 3

Thursday January 16, 2025 12:39 pm PST by
Apple provided the third beta of iOS 18.3 to developers today, and while the betas have so far been light on new features, the third beta makes some major changes to Notification Summaries and also tweaks a few other features. Notification Summary Changes Apple made multiple changes to Notification Summaries in response to complaints about inaccurate summaries of news headlines. For...

Top Rated Comments

zahuh Avatar
16 months ago
just a reminder to everyone here, the Mac, which I assume many of us love, allows for Apps to be downloaded from the App Store, or from online with verification for security, but we are able to disable the verification. I feel very safe using my Mac. iPhone has to open up. I assume it will be similar to the Mac and hopefully everything will be OK or even better
Score: 49 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bluecoast Avatar
16 months ago
I prefer the Apple that gets people to buy its products through innovation.

Not the one that guards every cent that it can squeeze out of them.
Score: 48 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HobeSoundDarryl Avatar
16 months ago
Wow: FOUR favorable posts about side loading before the "Apple is always right" crowd shows up with pitchforks, torches & battering rams. Impressive to see consumers thinking like consumers! Way to go people.

#2 says it all. Even the most passionate of fans has probably purchased at least ONE app for their Mac direct from the maker of that app or through third parties. And their lives have not been destroyed, their money stolen, their identity lifted, their Mac suffering infections/trojans beyond all possible repair, etc. No problem for anyone who uses their brain to choose their source of apps wisely.

And anyone who is overwhelmed with security worries still has the OPTION of getting Mac apps from Apple's Mac App Store... as would be the case here for iDevice apps. So if Apple's App Store is best, let it win the competition with others... exactly like the Mac App Store competes with getting Mac apps direct from the makers and via third party store offers. Let the consumers decide where to get a given app vs. a lone, single source with lucrative for-profit motivations above all else.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Gloor Avatar
16 months ago
Precisely! This monopoly behaviour has to go. Let people decide but give them the option.

Just like Steve Jobs always said - 'ask them'

I'm on EU side here. Doesn't mean I will use apps outside Appstore myself but I feel this will give people options. Those that want to tinker will be able to and those that want to feel the 'blanket of security' Apple provides will be also happy. Win win




just a reminder to everyone here, the Mac, which I assume many of us love, allows for Apps to be downloaded from the App Store, or from online with verification for security, but we are able to disable the verification. I feel very safe using my Mac. iPhone has to open up. I assume it will be similar to the Mac and hopefully everything will be OK or even better
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JosephAW Avatar
16 months ago
Would prefer the Apple would allow us to download purchased apps onto our computer and load them onto our devices again even if the developer is no longer in the app store.
Since Apple refuses to allow this I am for side loading apps to work around this. o_O
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Spaceboi Scaphandre Avatar
16 months ago
I told them they could impliment sideloading now or be forced to kicking and screaming. I see Apple chose the kicking and screaming route. My favorite ?

Man the sideloading update can't come fast enough. I can't wait. I'll probably upgrade my iPhone when it arrives.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)