Investigated geo-blocking practices for iPhone apps

I’ve been around for a long time iPhone user who has been quite critical the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) Regulation since its entry into force last year. I have done this as someone who will be directly affected by the changes imposed by the EU Apple.

While the DMA should promote competition and have the best interests of the customer in mind, it is actually doing me a huge disservice. Apple is delaying a number of software features in Europe.

I can’t use it Apple Intelligence on my iPhone and the iPhone Mirroring function is not available in Yosemite on Mac. This didn’t happen before. Apple would roll out the same software updates in Europe as in the US and other markets.

The excessive regulation also affects other products, especially in the field of AI. For example, I was only given access to ChatGPT Advanced voice mode a few weeks ago, well after its US launch.

But fast forward to Tuesday, and Brussels announced a new conflict with Apple. This time it’s one that actually makes sense for the EU bloc, as lawmakers ask Apple to stop geo-blocking practices in its digital stores.

Geo-blocking essentially allows Apple to serve specific content for a specific country. It’s not entirely up to Apple, however, as app developers can also choose where they make their content available. The same can be true for other types of content.

I’ve encountered the problem at least a few times over the years. I couldn’t download a specific app on iPhone because it wasn’t available across the EU. Instead, the company only serves a specific market. The EU wants Apple to stop geo-blocking practices “on certain Apple Media Services, namely App Store, Apple Arcade, Music, iTunes Store, Books and Podcasts.”

The EU said in a press release that the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network has identified “restrictions” on Apple Media Services that “unlawfully discriminate against European consumers based on their place of residence.”

Here are the limitations that the CPC Network has highlighted:

Online access: Apple Media Services has a different interface for different countries in the EU/EEA. In the app version of these services, consumers only access the interface created for the country where they registered their Apple account and face significant challenges when trying to change this, which is not allowed according the EU’s anti-geo-blocking rules.

Payment Methods: When making paid purchases on Apple Media Services, consumers may only use payment instruments (such as a credit/debit card) issued in the country in which they registered their Apple account.

Download: Because the App Store does not give consumers access to the version of another EU/EEA country, consumers are not allowed to download the apps offered in other countries. Consumers should be able to download apps offered in other EU/EEA countries when traveling to or temporarily staying in that country

I’ve already explained the app download issue, and that’s something Apple should easily solve as long as developers are involved.

I don’t really care about the UI of an Apple marketplace in different markets. I also don’t care about using payment methods issued in a country other than the country where I live, where I registered my Apple account.

However, as a frequent traveler in the EU, I can understand what consequences these problems can have for people who temporarily live and work in another EU country. The alternative is to create another Apple ID, which is not exactly convenient.

Following this investigation, Apple will have one month to respond to the CPC Network and propose ways to address the geo-blocking practices. It’s unclear what will happen if Apple fails to comply, but the press release warns that national authorities “may take enforcement action to ensure compliance.”

The Geo-blocking Regulation was adopted in 2018 to ensure better access conditions to goods and services across the EU/EEA. This includes all kinds of products, not just digital downloads available on iPhone and Android.

The announcement also notes that the CPC Network targeted Google’s Android in a similar move in 2023. Google has apparently made the right changes:

Google has committed to clarifying how to browse the different country versions of the Google Play Store, informing developers of their obligations under the Geoblocking Regulation to make their apps accessible across the EU, and allowing consumers to use payment methods from any EU country in the Google Store.

This suggests that Apple could take a similar approach in the near future. Whatever Apple does here will not impact other international jurisdictions or Apple’s ongoing disputes over the DMA. However, complying with the Geoblocking Regulation could earn Apple more goodwill with EU regulators.