Apple will make it easier for EU users to switch to Android and delete Safari

The European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) is officially in place and ramifications are popping up left and right. The latest development comes from Apple, which released a DMA Compliance Report outlining the changes required of them. These include immediate and upcoming steps, such as entering a browser selection screen.

Before we get into Apple’s changes, here’s a little background: The Digital Markets Act identifies “gatekeepers” like Apple, Meta and Amazon based on profits and users. The law prohibits these companies from favoring their own platforms or forcing users to stay in their ecosystem. Accordingly, when Apple users in the EU open Safari, they will be prompted to select a default browser from a list of options available in their region. Developers can also choose from different browsers – although they have to request and receive different “permissions”. These updates will be reflected for anyone who has downloaded iOS 17.4.

Apple is also implementing steps to make its data more portable to external systems, meaning an iOS user can import their data to an Android phone, for example. “Apple is developing a solution that helps mobile operating system vendors develop more user-friendly solutions for transferring data from an iPhone to a non-Apple phone,” the statement said. “Apple is also creating a cross-browser solution to export and import relevant data from the browser to another browser on the same device.” Changes to the mobile operating system are due to take effect by the fall of 2025, as Apple aims to introduce browser changes by late 2024 or early 2025.

Throughout the compliance report, Apple lays out ways the company believes these changes could harm users and developers. Apple says these risks include “new avenues for malware, fraud and scams, illegal and harmful content, and other privacy and security threats. These changes also compromise Apple’s ability to detect, prevent, and take action against malicious apps on iOS and to keep users affected by problems with apps downloaded outside the App Store.” The company has introduced steps like notarization for iOS apps, but claims they won’t be fully effective.

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