Browser choice screen

Hi frens,

It made me feel sad that Apple’s iOS and iPadOS was required to include the browser choice screen in the EU, which also happened to Microsoft Windows over a decade ago.

Which side do you think I’m standing for, the EU or the OS vendor? Neither of either side. I’m always standing for developer’s and customer’s side.

We welcome fair competition at all levels of the market. However, as companies grow larger, they often seem destined to create barriers that stifle competition.

In 2010, we knew from the very first beginning that Apple restricted web browser to its own WekKit engine. It stated:

No interpreted code may be downloaded or used in an Application except for code that is interpreted and run by Apple's Documented APIs and built-in interpreter(s).

There was a weird mobile app called “Firefox Home”, and a weird moment that Opera Mini quickly ranked number one iPhone app right after its approval on the App Store. Later, Firefox and Chrome surrendered to it, released “Firefox” and “Chrome” on the iOS with actually “Safari” in their bone:

@nickjshearer: The argument iOS browsers "compete" against Safari would be a whole lot more convincing if they were allowed to use their own rendering engines.

Alternative browser engines are only possible since iOS 17.4 in the EU only, and the browser choice screen will come even later.

The regulations should have done something during that weird market status a decade ago. The police are always the last to arrive on the scene.

Your friend,

Denken