As previously reported, Apple will no longer sell the iPhone 14 and iPhone SE in the European Union due to local legislation that requires all smartphones sold there to have a USB-C port. After removing these models from the online store in some countries such as Switzerland, Apple has now ended sales of the iPhone 14 and SE in most EU countries.
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With the announcement of the new iMac earlier today, Apple also released iOS 18.1 and macOS 15.1 – both with the first set of Apple Intelligence tools. But the company also confirmed on Monday that Apple Intelligence is coming to iPhone and iPad users in the EU early next year.
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Apple last year introduced the ability for third-party web browsers to add web apps to the iOS Home Screen, a feature that was previously exclusive to Safari. However, these web apps still depend on Apple’s WebKit. But Apple is changing that with iOS 18.2 – at least for a specific group of users.
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As a result of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) antitrust legislation in the EU, Apple has had to change how iOS and the App Store work for users in European countries. And there are more changes coming with iOS 18.2. More specifically, iPhone and iPad users will soon be able to delete the App Store, Safari, and many other built-in iOS apps.
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As we reported in August, a change coming to the App Store in the European Union would force developers to provide a public address and phone number that would become visible to customers in the region. As of today, the change has come into effect and developers are required to provide this data to Apple.
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Apple on Thursday began reminding developers of another change coming to the App Store in the European Union. This one, however, has been considered quite controversial. As of October, developers considered “traders” will have to provide updated address and phone number data, which will now appear to everyone in the EU App Store.
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Back in April, we learned that the EU would force Apple to bring the same App Store changes to iPad that previously arrived for iPhone. Those include app sideloading, alternative app payment, alternative browser engine support, and more. Now the second iPadOS 18 beta brings the ability to test those EU changes on iPad for the first time.
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Apple is set to release iOS 17.4 to the public next week with a major update for EU users that allows third-party app stores and more. Now ahead of the Digital Markets Act going into effect, Apple has shared the most up-to-date and comprehensive resource about all the changes and its approach and “efforts to protect user security and privacy in the European Union.”
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Many developers and tech companies didn’t react well to the changes proposed by Apple last month to comply with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) antitrust legislation, and Mark Zuckerberg is on that team. The Meta CEO said on Thursday that he doubts developers will opt in to the new “onerous” terms set by Apple in the EU.
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Apple recently announced a series of measures to comply with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) antitrust legislation, which includes allowing alternative app stores on the iPhone. To make sure developers understand what’s changing, Apple will let them request a consultation on the new guidelines announced last month.
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Apple has officially announced that sideloading will be available for EU users with iOS 17.4. Along with the major change, Apple has detailed how it will label apps from third-party app stores to inform and protect EU users, and the features that will be missing when sideloading.
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This year we’ve seen rumors that predict Apple’s USB-C on the yet-to-be-released iPhone 15 will be limited when it comes to data and charging speeds for non-MFi cables. Trying to prevent that – at least for the EU – commissioner Thierry Breton has given a warning to Apple four months ahead of the usual iPhone event.
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As European Union officials work on the implementation of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) that formally went into effect last fall, a stakeholder workshop was held today by the European Commission to get input on “app store related provisions.” Spotify was one of the panelists and it shared three changes it feels Apple must be forced to make in the EU.
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The EU legislation to mandate a common smartphone charger is now a done deal. After it looked like it would pass back in June, the Council of Ministers ratified the vote in October. Today the law has been officially signed and published with a December 2024 deadline for all new smartphones sold in Europe to use USB-C.
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The European Union on Thursday night unveiled more details about its plans to curb anti-competitive practices among big tech companies. With the rules of the new Digital Markets Act (DMA), Europe wants all major messaging apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and iMessage to have an interoperable platform.
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The French government is taking both Apple and Google to court, accusing the companies of ‘abusive trade practices’ in the way that they treat developers.
Reporting on the case is light on detail, but France appears to have three objections to the way the relationship works between app stores and developers …
Called before the European Parliament’s tax committee yesterday to explain its tax arrangements, Apple’s VP of European operations denied that the company received illegal state aid, reports Bloomberg.
“We feel that we’ve paid every cent of tax that is due in Ireland,” Cathy Kearney said at the European Parliament in Brussels. “We don’t feel that there has been state aid involved and I suppose we look forward to that outcome happening at the end of the day and being vindicated in that way. I would say that the Irish government also agrees with that view.”
Kearney also denied suggestions that the special tax deal with the Irish company was the reason it had chosen the country as its European HQ …
With a long-running investigation into the legality of Apple’s tax arrangements in Europe not expected to end any time soon, the company will come under additional pressure tomorrow when it is called before the European Parliament’s tax committee.
The European Union warned us this week not to expect a speedy conclusion to the long-running investigation into the legality of Apple’s tax arrangements in Europe. The delay follows a decision back in December to expand the scope of the investigation.
But while the wheels of EU tax investigations may grind exceedingly slowly, I’d be willing to wager quite large sums of money on the final outcome. It looks to me increasingly clear that Apple’s tax arrangements with the Irish government are going to be declared illegal, and that Apple is going to be faced with a significant bill for unpaid tax …
European Union competition chief Margrethe Vestager has warned reporters not to expect a quick decision from the investigation into whether or not Apple’s tax arrangements in Europe are legal, reports Bloomberg.
“Don’t hold your breath,” she told reporters in Brussels on Monday about the timing of decisions targeting Apple and online shopping giant Amazon.com Inc, whose tax affairs in Luxembourg are also under intense scrutiny. “I’m just warning you.”
Apple uses Ireland as its European headquarters, funneling most revenue through the country, where it has a special arrangement with the Irish government to pay corporation tax of just 2.5%. The EU believes this arrangement may be illegal for two reasons …
With a recent European Commission ruling making it look more likely than ever that Apple’s tax arrangements in Ireland will be declared illegal, Bloomberg has been doing the sums on how much the company may owe in back tax. The total? More than $8 billion.
Apple funnels all its European revenue through Ireland, where a special agreement with the Irish government means that it pays just 2.5% tax instead of the normal 12.5%. A long-running European Commission investigation into the legality of this arrangement was recently extended and expanded its scope.
Assuming the agreement is ruled to be illegal, it would be the Irish government – and not Apple – who broke the law, but Apple would still have to pay the difference between the tax it actually paid and the full amount that would have been due without the deal. The company warned shareholders last year that it may have to pay ‘material’ back taxes, but the figure calculated by Bloomberg is much larger than earlier estimates …
The European Commission has ruled that tax breaks offered by Belgium to multinational companies are illegal, and that the companies concerned must pay the full rate of tax due in the country, reports VentureBeat. This follows similar decisions in Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
While none of these rulings directly impact Apple, they do make it look extremely likely that the Commission will reach the same decision in Ireland, where Apple pays just 2.5% corporation tax instead of the normal 12.5%.
The Irish government offered Apple the special deal in order to encourage the company to choose the country as its European headquarters. The European Commission has been running a lengthy investigation into the legality of this arrangement, and has recently extended and expanded its scope.
If Ireland is indeed found to have broken the law, Apple will have to pay the difference in tax for up to ten years. The total amount was estimated last year at $2.5 billion. Apple warned shareholders at the time that it may face ‘material’ back taxes should the decision go against it.
The EC isn’t the only entity unhappy with Apple’s tax arrangements in Ireland either. The Italian government accused Apple of failing to declare more than $1.3 billion of corporation tax in the country as a result of funneling profits through to Ireland. Apple, which has 16 retail stores in the country, recently agreed to pay the full €318M ($347M) claimed by the Italian tax office.
Photo: AP Photo/Rick Rycroft
The long-running investigation into the legality of Apple’s tax arrangements in Ireland has been expanded, with the European Commission now seeking additional information from the Irish government, reports the FT. This means that the investigation is likely to be extended well into next year. A ruling had originally been expected before the end of the year.
While Irish authorities had expected the case to be concluded soon, they have instead been sent bulky sets of supplementary questions, meaning it will be difficult to reach a final verdict until after the 2016 election, which is expected as early as February […]
The Irish finance ministry confirmed that the government was supplying the requested additional information to the commission. “We do not expect any decision until after the new year,” said a spokesman.
If the ruling goes against Apple, it could face a bill for billions of Euros in underpaid tax …
