Apple, the U.S. multinational tech company, must ensure its iPadOS operating system complies with all the relevant obligations under the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), the Commission said Monday.
In April this year, the Commission added Apple’s iPadOS to the list of ‘core platform services’ for which Apple is designated a ‘gatekeeper’. Gatekeepers need to comply with various obligations laid down the DMA within 6 months following their designation.
As one of the large online platforms, Apple must, among others, allow its users to set the default web browser of their choice on iPadOS and allow alternative app stores on its operating system. It must also allow accessory devices, such as headphones and smart pens, to effectively access iPadOS features.
On 1 November, Apple published a compliance report detailing the measures it has taken for iPadOS to comply with the DMA. The public version of the report is now accessible on the Commission’s DMA webpage.
The Commission says it will now carefully assess whether the measures adopted for iPadOS are effective in complying with the DMA obligations. The Commission’s assessment will also be based on the input of interested stakeholders.
If the Commission concludes that Apple’s solutions are not compliant with the DMA, the Commission will take formal enforcement action as foreseen in the DMA.