For the benefit of everyone?
Apple characterizes Japanese regulators as accepting the need to strike a balance between loosening Apple’s market power with the needs of customers. That’s not the same in Europe, where the hardline approach means some features might never appear as larger competitors seek to use the DMA to undermine Apple’s privacy and security protections.
That’s the nub, really, as the European approach means only a very small number of wealthy competitors are really seeing any benefit, while customers suffer weaker privacy, security, and erosion of the user experience they chose.
Perhaps the EU should adopt the Japanese approach? Doing so might not make Apple much happier, particularly as it doesn’t seem to have any intention to extend any of the changes to other jurisdictions unless forced. But it would at least deliver a better compromise between the needs of Apple, well-financed competitors and their political lobbyists, and consumers. Though it’s possible that once different approaches are in place in different markets, it will become easier to see which models deliver the best overall results.
