EU antitrust officials on Monday identified iPadOS, Apple’s operating system for iPads, as a significant digital gatekeeper under the EU’s new tech regulations, which carry strict requirements that aim to promote fair competition and expand options for consumers.
Last September, the Commission designated Apple as a gatekeeper for its iOS iPhone operating system, its web browser Safari, and its App Store. On the same day, the Commission opened a market investigation to assess whether iPadOS constitutes an important gateway for business users to reach end users in order to assess whether should be designated as a gatekeeper.
That investigation has now ended. According to a press release released on Monday, the Commission’s investigation found that Apple “presents the features of a gatekeeper in relation to iPadOS,” for the following reasons:
Apple’s business user numbers exceeded the quantitative threshold elevenfold, while its end user numbers were close to the threshold and are predicted to rise in the near future.
End users are locked-in to iPadOS. Apple leverages its large ecosystem to disincentivise end users from switching to other operating systems for tablets.
Business users are locked-in to iPadOS because of its large and commercially attractive user base, and its importance for certain use cases, such as gaming apps.Following the investigation, the European Commission concluded that iPadOS plays a crucial role for business users accessing the market and that Apple holds a significant and sustained market position. The Commission has now given Apple a six-month deadline to fully comply with the obligations set by the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
This article, “iPadOS Identified as Digital ‘Gatekeeper’ Under New EU Tech Rules” first appeared on MacRumors.com
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