Apple just lately claimed that Safari is three totally different browsers in effort to keep away from regulation within the European Union (by way of The Register).
The declare got here as a part of a response to the European Union in August, simply earlier than the European Fee designated lots of Apple’s iOS, App Retailer, and Safari as gatekeeper platforms. This classification signifies that Apple now has to make sure that these platforms fall in step with the Digital Markets Act’s necessities, equivalent to permitting browser engines aside from WebKit and the set up of third-party app shops.
It has now emerged that after being knowledgeable that Safari was prone to fall underneath the DMA’s laws, Apple filed formal a response to the European Union claiming that Safari is, actually, “three distinct internet browsers.” The corporate’s declare is predicated on the argument that Safari for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS are solely totally different and serve totally different functions.
On instance cited by Apple is Safari’s sidebar function on iPadOS and macOS, permitting customers to see opened tabs, tab teams, bookmarks, and shopping historical past. Since this function is unavailable within the model of Safari for iOS, Apple claimed that it’s a distinctly totally different browser. The corporate added that every model of Safari serves totally different functions for customers relying on the machine upon which it’s accessed.
The European Fee went on to level out that Safari’s performance and underlying applied sciences are near-identical throughout platforms. The Fee even highlights Apple’s personal advertising supplies for its Continuity function, which seem to contradict the corporate’s claims, touting the tag line “Identical Safari. Totally different machine.” Consequently, the Fee rejected Apple’s declare and insists that “Safari qualifies as a single internet browser, regardless of the machine by way of which that service is accessed.”
Apple is now obliged to make sure that Safari adheres to the DMA’s necessities, equivalent to by permitting non-WebKit-based browsers on iOS and iPadOS. Firms that don’t adhere to the brand new laws threat going through EU investigations, substantial fines, and the imposition of “behavioral or structural treatments.” The fines can quantity to 10 p.c of an organization’s international turnover, with a 20 p.c penalty for repeat violations. Questions stay about whether or not Apple’s argument about Safari being three totally different browsers violates the DMA’s Anti-Circumvention provision that forbids subdividing a platform’s market share to keep away from regulation.
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