Companies
Apple broke iPhone web apps in EU for anticompetition
Apple stops EU PWAs, citing Digital Markets Act, revenue concerns, and security risks, despite prior efforts and threats to App Store.
Headline
Apple stops EU PWAs, citing Digital Markets Act, revenue concerns, and security risks, despite prior efforts and threats to App Store.
Context
Apple Inc. has confirmed that, due to compliance with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) , it will cease providing Progressive Web Apps (PWA) to EU users. Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, in an article on X, stated that another reason for Apple’s decision is that iPhone web apps do not generate revenue for the company. Sweeney’s company previously sued Apple Inc. over App Store fees, so his viewpoint is inherently biased, but he raises a question that many are pondering. Is Apple disabling iPhone web applications truly to protect users from security risks posed by third-party browser engines, or is this decision more about eliminating potential threats to Apple’s business? In other words, is Apple really willing to compromise the iPhone user experience to protect its revenue?
Evidence
Pending intelligence enrichment.
Analysis
The iPhone manufacturer released an update on its website on Thursday detailing changes related to DMA in the EU to address this issue. Earlier, Apple found that iPhone web apps (also known as Progressive Web Apps or PWA) were not functioning properly in recent iOS beta versions in the EU. Initially, there were concerns that these issues were just bugs in the beta version, but Apple quickly clarified the reason for this action. Also read: X tops Apple’s App Store amidst celebrity picture controversy Apple explained on its website that to comply with DMA requirements, it is forced to support other web browser engines besides WebKit , which Safari uses. iOS home screen web apps have always relied on WebKit and its security architecture to protect users from online threats. This includes storage isolation and executing “system prompts to access privacy-affecting functionality,” Apple said. The company pointed out that without this isolation and enforcement measures, malicious web apps could access data from other apps and access a user’s camera, microphone, or location with the user’s consent. Since Apple is required by DMA to allow the use of other browser engines, the company chose not to expose users to risks but instead to diminish the web app experience for EU users on iOS. Now, web apps will run like website bookmarks, without support for local storage, tagging, notifications, and dedicated windows.
Key Points
- Apple Inc. will stop providing Progressive Web Apps (PWA) to EU users to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA), according to Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney.
- Apple claims this decision is also due to the lack of revenue generated by iPhone web apps and security concerns with third-party browser engines.
- While Apple cites DMA compliance and low user adoption rates as reasons, critics argue it contradicts Apple’s previous efforts to improve PWAs and may threaten its App Store business.
Actions
Pending intelligence enrichment.
