After Apple verified yesterday it is breaking internet applications for consumers into the EU due to the EU regulation to its compliance the Digital Markets Act (DMA), Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney suggests in a post on X there’s another reason behind Apple’s decision: iPhone web apps don’t make Apple money. Sweeney, whose company sued Apple over antitrust concerns related to App Store fees, is obviously a biased source on the matter, but he raises a relevant question that’s on everyone’s minds. Did Apple break iPhone web applications as it claims, or was the decision more about quashing a potential threat to Apple’s business?
Would because it was looking to protect customers from security risks arising from third-party browser engines Apple really go so far as to degrade the consumer experience on iPhone to protect its revenue, in other words?website detailing its DMA-related changes in the EUThe iPhone maker on Thursday published an update to its that is deal with the situation, following the development that iPhone internet applications — additionally understood as progressive internet apps, or PWAs — were not any longer functional when you look at the current iOS betas into the EU. Initially, there clearly was issue that the problems had been simply a bug that is beta but Apple soon put that theory to rest.Apple explainsOn its website,
that to comply with the DMA, it’s being forced to support other web browser engines besides WebKit — the browser engine used by Safari. iOS Home Screen web apps have relied on WebKit and its security architecture to keep users safe from online threats. This involves the isolation of storage and the enforcement of “system prompts to access capabilities that are privacy-impacting” Apple said.
— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic)
Though Sweeney perhaps features a bone to choose with Apple, there could be some truth to their statements. The company admits there’s a technical solution to the security issues problem — but it simply chose not to implement it.Apple within Apple’s explanation of why it has ended support for web apps in the EU wrote (emphasis ours):Addressing the security that is complex privacy problems related to internet applications utilizing alternate internet browser engines
would need building a completely brand-new integration architecture
that will not presently occur in iOS and had not been useful to carry out because of the various other needs regarding the DMA therefore the suprisingly low individual use of Residence Screen internet applications.regulationIn brief, Apple says it is able to mend the problem but it noted had required “more than 600 new APIs and a wide range of developer tools” — it decided to skip fixing this one.featuresWhile because it’s been burdened by having to comply with the DMA — which it may be no feat that is small build “an entirely brand-new integration design,” it also is not as though Apple had been amazed because of the DMA, a would reach $10.44 billion by 2027 that is experienced the works well with many years. It had time and energy to plan this. To help expand deflect any culpability right here, Apple implies that folks won’t brain so it smashed Residence Screen internet applications, offered their user that is“low adoption”
But Apple’s moves that are own that description. If something, Apple happens to be attempting to make PWAs much more helpful through the years, adding* that is( that allowed web apps to function more like native apps, and be easily distributed outside its App Store. Meanwhile, user adoption has been growing, not shrinking. Analysts estimated that the PWA market
, at a compound growth that is annual of 31.9%.(*)It’s feasible for alternative engines that are browser make PWAs more helpful, as Sweeney argues, which may be a threat to Apple’s App shop company, because of the internet applications are now actually almost because useful as indigenous applications are.(*)Apple was expected to discuss its choice around PWAs, however it just published a reason to its DMA site as the reaction.(*)
