Users in the European Union can now download and run third-party iPhone apps from stores not controlled by Apple.
This is now causing noticeable cracks in Apple's walled garden ecosystem, which has remained untouched and unchallenged since its launch 15 years ago.
Additionally, the new EU rules have forced Google to provide new options for users setting up new devices instead of defaulting to Google's Chrome browser and search engine.
These are just some of the effects of sweeping EU tech regulations like the Digital Markets Act (DMA) that the governing body has implemented, loosening the grip of tech giants like Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Apple on the world's most popular tech products.
Commissioner Thierry Breton has called on the United States to implement new tech regulations to harmonize the digital marketplace between the two countries.JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images
EU Industry Chief Urges US to Implement Tech Regulations
Today, the EU's industry chief, Commissioner Thierry Breton, is calling on the United States to roll out new tech regulations to harmonize the digital marketplace between the US and Europe, Reuters reports.
In the US, government officials hold onto decades-old antitrust laws that assume these large companies are not inherently harming their consumer base, believing in the market forces' ability to correct itself.
Big Tech, like Meta, Google, and Apple, have historically blocked attempts to advance antitrust regulations by lobbying top government officials.
In March, Apple asked a judge to dismiss the latest antitrust lawsuit filed against the company.
There has been slow progress for antitrust regulations in the US despite government investigations like one in 2020, which found proof of widespread anticompetitive practices by big companies.
Commissioner Breton believes that similar digital regulations will have positive effects on the US. "It would be fantastic to have a global digital market. Not only the EU, not only the US, but the EU and the US," Breton said.
US President Joe Biden speaks during a joint press conference with Kenya's President William Ruto in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC on May 23, 2024.ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images
US President Joe Biden speaks during a joint press conference with Kenya's President William Ruto in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC on May 23, 2024.
The Biden administration has implemented several tech regulations. In 2021, President Joe Biden signed an executive order creating an executive branch-wide policy to probe mergers proposed by Big Tech companies.
In the face of rapidly advancing AI technology, President Biden met with leading AI developers and signed several executive orders last year to ensure safety tests are conducted.
Meanwhile, in the EU, a comprehensive AI Act has been enacted to ban AI technology with unacceptable risks to national security. "It's extremely important we align now," Breton said.
"We share the same values in the US and in Europe, and it would be fantastic," the Commissioner added.
