It’s all about a thread: iOS might become “an Android clone” for Apple.

While the UK Competition Authority is suggesting measures concerning iOS as part of an inquiry, Apple fears that these modifications will turn its operating system into a « clone of Android ». The CMA wants to remove the WebKit requirement for iOS browsers, among other things.

Apple is being investigated by several competition authorities for its iOS activities. WebKit’s iOS requirement is considered anti-competitive by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) British, the competition regulatory authority. According to Apple, removing this restriction and changing its methods would be equivalent to turning iOS into a “Android clone,” as The Register noted. According to the CMA, Apple and Google create a “duopole” over the UK mobile market.

A Deletion of Webkit That is Debating

To recap, WebKit is an Apple-developed rendering engine that is required for every web browser that wishes to be allowed on the App Store. However, this engine is the target of several criticisms: some believe it homogenizes all browsers, favoring Safari as the default application. Others believe that WebKit hinders browser performance in comparison to the power available on Apple products.

The CMA recommended removing the WebKit requirement on iOS as part of a “survey considerable and well-established market power” of Apple. The authority also focuses more generally on mobile browsers and cloud gaming services. In a statement in December, the CMA says it discovered « evidence that the quality of all browsers on Apple devices is hampered by the slower speed of development of WebKit ». This also suggests that the creators scrapped several planned features since the engine couldn’t support them. Additionally, due to vulnerabilities in WebKit, this increases development costs for enterprises.

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Apple Refuses to see iOS More Like Android

The news media According to The Register, Apple filed a response in December, which was recently released. The removal of this responsibility, according to the iOS developer, “would impede consistent updates to applications creating web content, as Android does.” Where the CMA requests alternative application stores, Apple responds that doing so “would weaken the substantial user safeguards afforded by Apple’s management model” and decrease customer choice.

Apple is battling hard against the choices imposed by the British competition regulator. According to the Register, Apple filed an appeal with the Competition Appeal Tribunal from the United Kingdom following the December CMA announcement. The corporation seeks that the poll be deemed “illegal and without legal effect” since the CMA would have exceeded its authority by beginning the probe.

Apple May Not Have The Choice To Change its So-Called  « Practices ANTI-COMPETITIVE»

According to the media, “the Japanese Fair Trade Commission has suggested that Apple and Google incorporate third-party application shops on their platforms.” Next June’s WWDC 2023 is likely to have an iOS 17 presentation. Apple is said to be submitting to different authorities’ proposals for competition with this upcoming version of the iPhone OS.

The European Union is the source of the other major compulsion. DSA and DMA will enter into force in 2024, two documents that aim to strengthen regulation of digital enterprises, particularly their competitive tactics. The particular ramifications for Apple are unknown, but the company may be expected to be pushed to expose iOS to rival application shops. Additionally, messaging systems must be interoperable, which will have an impact on iMessage. Finally, the EU previously saw Apple’s payment method as an abuse of a dominant position. Furthermore, some developers are already prepared for this opportunity, such as Google, which is working on an iOS version of Chrome sans WebKit.