Leaked EU Document Could Spell Major Changes for App Store, Messages, FaceTime, Browsers, and Siri

A leaked version of the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA) indicates that Apple could be forced to make major changes to the App Store, Messages, FaceTime, third-party browsers, and Siri.

european parliament
According to a leaked working document intended to reflect the "final" version of the DMA, seen by MacRumors, the EU is planning to enact changes that seek to have a significant impact on the way that companies like Apple will have to manage their products, apps, and services in Europe, particularly with regards to "gatekeeping."

Earlier versions of the Digital Markets Act set out demands for big tech companies to share metrics with competitors, ensure that all apps are uninstallable, and not preference their own apps and services. Companies that fail to do so may face large fines, as high as ten percent of the company's worldwide annual turnover, or even forced disinvestment.

One of the headline parts of the DMA attempts to prompt major changes to the ‌App Store‌, forcing Apple to allow users to download apps from the internet and third-party app stores and allow developers to use in-app payment systems of their choice and promote offers to users. Amendments to the DMA outlined in the leaked document seek to address browser engine gatekeeping and platform interoperability.

The document expands provisions to stop companies from requiring developers to use a particular browser engine. This change is likely intended to directly address Apple's requirement that all browsers running on iOS and iPadOS that use its own WebKit technology, and would allow third-party browsers like Chrome, Edge, Brave, and Opera to stop using WebKit and switch to Chromium like their desktop counterparts.

New wide-reaching interoperability obligations will require companies to ensure that, under certain circumstances, their messaging, voice-calling, and video calling apps and services will work with rival services and include end-to-end encryption. This could have implications for iMessage and ‌FaceTime‌, but it is not clear how far Apple will need to make changes to its services to meet the DMA's interoperability requirements.

The DMA has also been amended to add provisions for regulating virtual assistants like ‌Siri‌, stating that users should be given the option to change the default virtual assistant to a third-party option when using it for the first time. Other changes to the DMA relate to preventing companies from giving their own apps and services preferential treatment, such as when presenting rankings or search results.

EU lawmakers provisionally approved the DMA in March. Once the final document is officially published, the European Parliament and the Council will need to approve it before it can come into effect. Digital competition chief Margrethe Vestager said last month that she expects the DMA to come into force "sometime in October."

Earlier this week, members of the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly in support of legislation that will compel Apple to offer a USB-C port on all iPhones, iPads, and AirPods in Europe.

Popular Stories

iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says iPhone Driver's Licenses Will Expand to These 8 U.S. States

Tuesday July 8, 2025 11:26 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
apple tv 4k new orange

New Apple TV Expected Later This Year With These New Features

Saturday July 12, 2025 3:09 pm PDT by
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Rumors Faster Wi-Fi Support The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports ...
macbook pro blue green

M5 MacBook Pro No Longer Coming in 2025

Thursday July 10, 2025 12:38 pm PDT by
Apple does not plan to refresh any Macs with updated M5 chips in 2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models are now planned for the first half of 2026. Gurman previously said that Apple would debut the M5 MacBook Pro models in late 2025, but his newest report suggests that Apple is "considering" pushing them back to 2026. Apple is now said to be...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

Leaker Reveals Amount of RAM in iPhone 17 Through iPhone 17 Pro Max

Wednesday July 9, 2025 8:08 am PDT by
Three out of four iPhone 17 models will feature more RAM than the equivalent iPhone 16 models, according to a new leak that aligns with previous rumors. The all-new iPhone 17 Air, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max will each be equipped with 12GB of RAM, according to Fixed Focus Digital, an account with more than two million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 16 New Features

Friday July 11, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

Foldable iPhone Display Production Begins Ahead of Launch Next Year

Wednesday July 9, 2025 10:59 pm PDT by
Production of foldable OLED displays for Apple's first foldable iPhone have begun ahead of its expected launch next year, Korea's ETNews reports. The first foldable iPhone's displays are being produced by Samsung Display, who are establishing a production line dedicated to the upcoming Apple device its A3 factory in Asan, Chungcheongnam-do. The production line will make displays exclusively...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...

Top Rated Comments

WiseAJ Avatar
42 months ago
Massive government overreach. Play hardball Apple and threaten to pull out of the EU. They need you more than you need them.
Score: 116 Votes (Like | Disagree)
djcerla Avatar
42 months ago
If I want Android, then I buy Android.

Leave the iPhone alone.
Score: 102 Votes (Like | Disagree)
siddavis Avatar
42 months ago

As time goes on my desire for sideloading and installing apps that Apple would never allow grows stronger so I have to say I support the EU lawmakers in this endeavour.
Or, you could... you know... buy an Android device.
I support you in this endeavor.
Score: 95 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rpmurray Avatar
42 months ago
Is it too late to have them include a provision that Apple is required to make a 27 inch (or bigger) iMac?
Score: 90 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DHagan4755 Avatar
42 months ago
This sounds like buying a Chevy & being given the option to replace OnStar with Dodge's UConnect.
Score: 71 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GMShadow Avatar
42 months ago

If GDPR serves as an indication, this is going turn into a horrible mess. I have no doubt the EU is well-intentioned, but that doesn’t make what they’re planning a good idea. I can appreciate the change to browser engine requirements, but everything else seems totally half-baked. Are they of the position that no company should have a competitive advantage with the products and services they offer? This makes zero sense.
They're of the opinion that no American company should ever have a competitive advantage. If Apple were German or French, none of this would ever have come up.
Score: 68 Votes (Like | Disagree)