top | item 45808758

What Apple's UK SMS Designation Means for Browsers and Web Apps

19 points| slightlyoff | 3 months ago |open-web-advocacy.org

8 comments

order

slightlyoff|3 months ago

"TL;DR: The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has officially designated Apple as having Strategic Market Status (SMS). After four years investigating Apple’s restrictions on browser engines and web apps, the CMA now has statutory authority to enforce remedies proposed in its Market Investigation Reference completed this year.

The most important outcomes being:

- Apple can be compelled to allow third-party browsers on iOS to use their own engines.

- Apple can be compelled to provide equivalent access to functionality for browsers using their own browser engines.

- Apple can be compelled to let third-party browsers install and manage web apps using their own engines.

- Apple can be compelled to remove barriers to web app adoption, such as implementing a web app equivalent to smart banners or install prompts in iOS Safari."

ggm|3 months ago

The devil is always in the details. Apple can afford to contest almost every case brought under the directives by independent developers.

I'm sure the app store and fees and in app payments will be one of the battlegrounds.