Biden Administration Report Recommends Sweeping Changes to Apple's Ecosystem

[MacRumors]

A report commissioned by the Biden administration this week recommended new legislation to make major changes to Apple's platform restrictions and App Store policies.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is the president's main advisor on telecommunications and Internet policy. In April last year, the NTIA announced that it had launched an investigation into competition in mobile app ecosystems. The investigation was triggered by an executive order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy from July 2021, with the aim of making recommendations for improving competition, reducing barriers to entry, and maximizing user benefit.

Months after its contents were shared with the White House, the NTIA this week published the "Competition in the Mobile Application Ecosystem" report – the first such report into Apple's ecosystem by a federal organization. On the basis of the investigation's findings, the report recommends:

• Third-party app stores should be permitted and users should not be prevented from sideloading apps outside a gatekeeper's own app store. Legislative and regulatory measures should prohibit restrictions on sideloading, alternative app stores, and web apps.
• Requirements that ban developers from using alternative in-app payment systems should be banned.
• Third-party web browser apps should be able to offer full functionality and not face browser engine restrictions.
• Pre-installed apps, default options, and anticompetitive self-preferencing should be limited, including in search results.
• Users should be able to choose their own apps as defaults and delete or hide pre-installed apps.
• App store review processes should be more transparent.

The report says that new legislation and additional antitrust enforcement actions will likely be necessary to remedy existing issues and boost competition in mobile app ecosystems. See the NTIA's full report for more information.

Apple's ecosystem has come under intense scrutiny by governments around the world in recent years, including in the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, the European Union, South Korea, Japan, and more, with a clear appetite from global regulators to explore platform restrictions around issues such as app sideloading, browser engines, and interoperability.

Article Link: Biden Administration Report Recommends Sweeping Changes to Apple's Ecosystem

 

[scheinderrob]

fantastic news. bring the hammer down on apple and break them up.

 

[zilchfox]

Oh boy, here we go.

 

[mystery hill]

Soon it will be easier to list the countries that aren’t investigating Apple for anticompetitive behavior.

 

[deeddawg]

Ah, the Mierdas Touch...

 

[imnotthewalrus]

Turn off the lights; the party's over...

 

[iLoveDeveloping]

fantastic news. bring the hammer down on apple and break them up.

WTF?

 

[fatTribble]

I’ll plan to explain to my Mom this weekend about side loading apps on her iPhone and the merits of various browsers and mail apps so she can make informed decisions.

 

[markgpearse]

Hard to argue with what they are saying... but I love my Apple ecosystem... so hands-off. People have alternatives to Apple.

 

[BrownyQ]

None of this is irrational, as far as findings go. And if it comes down to it, Apple will find ways to oblige while still maintaining control of the OS.

Isn't iOS programmed in such a way that an app exists in a sort of "walled space", where its functionality is bound to only itself, and not affected by or able to affect other apps? Or at least, not without express permission?

Because I can totally see something like the above being implemented (if it isn't already) so that while allowing apps from outside sources, their functionality will always be just shy of perfect compared to Apple's own in-house variants.

 

[poorcody]

Nuts. Most of those things will have real costs in terms of security, support, complexity, and lack-of-uniformity which all give the iOS ecosystem increased value. Government overreach in my opinion. It's not like Android is not a serious alternative.

 

[iAFC]

I wish the iPhone worked exactly like a Mac. I'm living temporarily in another country and I can't download a few important local apps, because they are not available at my home country's App Store. The only option is to switch region, which I'm avoiding, as I would first have to undo a family group and cancel all my subscriptions. Would be nice to be able to simply download a .dmg file on Safari.

 

[rhaezorblue]

This makes no sense. If you start a company, build it into a huge company, do you lose your rights to operate your product (app store) how you see fit? The competition cries and cries.. ok, so make your own phones into a trillion dollar company then? It's like if you created a bakery and grew it into a huge chain - then Krispy Kreme complained to the government that your bakery wont let them come in and sell their donuts in your stores. Like wtf kind of logic is this?

If competitive app stores are allowed on the iphone, be prepared for WAY more spyware/malware to slip through the cracks. Do you think Samsung polices their app store as well as Apple does? Sometimes bad apps slip through even WITH Apple's much higher focus on security and privacy.

 

[winxmac]

Downgrading at the cost of security risk but better performance should be allowed...

iPhone 4 - iOS 5.1.1
iPhone 4S - iOS 6.1.3
iPhone 5 - iOS 6.1.4/iOS 8.4.1
iPhone 5c/5s - iOS 8.4.1
iPhone 6 - iOS 8.4.1/iOS 9.3.5
iPhone 6s - iOS 9.3.5/iOS 10.3.3/iOS 12.4.1/iOS 13.7
iPhone 7 - iOS 10.3.3/iOS 12.4.1/iOS 13.7
iPhone 8/X - iOS 12.4.1/iOS 13.7
iPhone XS/XR - iOS 12.4.1/iOS 13.7

 

[contacos]

Will be interesting to see how far "sideloading" will have to be allowed to go like there is a difference between installing ... let's say an App like Duolingo from another source (in its own sandbox with no access to anything outside of it) or to download a Tweak that has access to the iOS "core" to change things like fonts and system functionalities (think JB) over all

 

[Porco]

If Apple have been sensible they will have seen this coming for a long time and be ready to go with a set of contingency plans. Though no doubt they will still fight it as long as possible.

 

[StuBeck]

Article should be updated to include that they aren't very happy with how Google are doing things either. Big difference is that Google does allow sideloading, but limits in other ways. This is not only an issue the US Government has with Apple.

 

[sam_dean]

Shareholders and employees will not like this.

Personally if people want sideloading they may want to buy into Android instead.

 

[GraXXoR]

You can likely keep your system... I doubt they will force competitor's app stores onto the platform and remove the App Store. More likely they will just prevent Apple from preventing stuff like Epic or GOG from running their own stores...

 

[Bokito]

Ouch, this will hurt Apple's business bad, but they brought it down on themselves lately. Apple didn't move a single inch in recent years to satisfy legislators and now they suddenly have to shift their platform majorly.

As a user I prefer to keep the iPhone closed. I can't control the iPhone like a Mac in terms of security. There are some things that Apple could've let go years ago though, like the required use of Apple's payment systems and the 30% commission. Apple doesn't allow Brick & Mortar stores to take more than 5% on hardware sales either, so why should they themselves take 30? And yes, they should be allowed get kickbacks for creating the platform, but that can be done with third-party payment systems too.

It's a top management failure on Apple's part. If they lowered the 30% commission to 15% or 10% (that would still be profitable) years ago and didn't require the use of their own payment systems I think this legislation (and the similar ones from the EU and Korea) wouldn't float around now.

 

[contacos]

Shareholders and employees will not like this.

Personally if people want sideloading they may want to buy into Android instead.

Concerns have been raised in regards of Android as well. This research wasnt Apple exclusive

 

[magamo]

I'd agree with them if there were no competitions out there. I mean, you can always leave the Apple ecosystem for Android, Windows, etc.

 

[enc0re]

Why limit these recommendations to mobile ecosystems? Let me install Steam on my Xbox and buy games that way!

 

[sam_dean]

Concerns have been raised in regards of Android as well. This research wasnt Apple exclusive

You can sideload in Android.

 

[now i see it]

To all the naysayers moaning that their security will be compromised if sideloading is implemented…

Guess what? The  App Store isn’t going anywhere. Everyone can still use the App Store.

The push for sideloading is to benefit developers, not end user customers.