EU antitrust chief tells Apple it must allow third-party app stores

The European Union's Margrethe Vestager has met with leaders of US Big Tech firms to discuss their operations in the EU, and with Apple's Tim Cook concentrated on the App Store and Apple Music.

As previously announced, Vestager came to San Francisco and Palo Alto to speak specifically with the heads of Apple, Google, Broadcom, and Nvidia. Her meetings continue on Friday, but on January 11, 2024, she met with Tim Cook at Apple Park.

Neither the EU nor Apple have released any details of the meeting, but Vestager has posted a very brief summary on Twitter/X.

2 main points from my meeting w/ @tim_cook @apple

compliance w/ #DMA, e.g. @Apple's obligation to allow the distribution of #apps outside the @AppStore
ongoing @EU_Competition cases e.g. @AppleMusic pic.twitter.com/G2gP51IW8L
— Margrethe Vestager (@vestager) January 12, 2024

According to Vestager, then, the discussion at least centered on the long-standing issue of whether Apple should allow third-party alternatives to the App Store. It's possible that Cook continued Apple's argument that the company runs five comparatively small App Stores instead of one large one, which is what would qualify it for EU regulation.

The meeting also covered Apple Music and the EU's investigation into its alleged antitrust actions. It's not clear what form any discussions could take, though, as the EU has already ruled that Apple Music violates EU antitrust rules.

74 Comments

AllM 71 comments · 1 Year

About 11 months ago

I don’t get it. Why won’t Vestager mention any kind of obligation for developers to also publish on Apple’s App Store? Otherwise, this would be a massive intrusion into my private life as a customer. Suppose Adobe or whatnot decided they’d distribute their software through their own ‘store’ only. That would effectively force their customers to use that ‘store’ with possibly zero quality control assured.

foregoneconclusion 2857 comments · 12 Years

Vestager: "Billion and trillion dollar software companies deserve special treatment. You're forcing them to adhere to the same rules as the fart app programmer. That just isn't right!"

tech_traveller 46 comments · New User

foregoneconclusion said:

Vestager: "Billion and trillion dollar software companies deserve special treatment. You're forcing them to adhere to the same rules as the fart app programmer. That just isn't right!"

Generally speaking, billion and trillion dollar companies do get special treatment from Apple.

Google, Microsoft etc. do get special consideration, if anything comes up wrong with them, only executive level positions have the authority to issue directives.

nubus 627 comments · 8 Years

Guess the relationship has improved now that her iPhone has USB C :-) Last time was described as "worst meeting ever in Brussels". I do hope Apple can find a way forward between security and multiple stores.

eriamjh 1771 comments · 17 Years

I wonder if Apple could force sideloaded apps to exist in a sandbox, locked and isolated from everything else.

Granted the user may grant access to Contact, photos, etc, but maybe it would contain nefarious apps.

Have no idea how this works.