March 28, 2022

Apple could be forced to allow users to install apps from outside the App Store under new legislation recently unveiled by the EU. As such, we could see the return of Fortnite back on iOS devices via third-party apps.

As per The Verge (Via Eurogamer) the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which has yet to be passed by the European Parliament, could be enforced as early as October and mean Apple would need to allow users to access third-party stores on its platform.

As many might know, Apple is fiercely against this practice, and in a report released last year – during the bitter legal battle between Apple and Epic Games – they said: “Allowing sideloading would degrade the security of the iOS platform and expose users to serious security risks not only on third-party app stores, but also on the App Store”.

Tim Cook has also argued that sideloading would “destroy the security of the iPhone.”

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Despite Apple’s reluctance, Europe’s Digital Markets Act, or DMA came one step closer to being signed into law, and speaking to The Verge, European Commission spokesperson Johannes Bahrke said:

“We believe that the owner of a smartphone should have the freedom to choose how to use it. This freedom includes being able to opt for alternative sources of apps on your smartphone. With the DMA, a smartphone owner would still be able to enjoy safe and secure services of the default app store on their smartphones. On top of that, if a user so chooses, the DMA would allow a smartphone owner to also opt for other safe app stores.”

When asked for comment, Apple spokesperson Emma Wilson responded to The Verge by saying: “some provisions of the DMA will create unnecessary privacy and security vulnerabilities for our users while others will prohibit us from charging for intellectual property in which we invest a great deal.”