A new proposed act by the European Union could force iCloud to easily interoperate with other third-party cloud services such as Dropbox and OneDrive, according to a recent article from Reuters.
The proposed set of laws – simply titled the Data Act – aims to curb the ever-increasing control of “Big Tech” companies, including Apple and other American-based corporations. The Act was first proposed last year by the European Commission, and a deal finalizing the Act was struck on Tuesday between the Union’s lawmakers and member states. Thierry Breton, the EU’s Commissioner for Internal Market, took to Twitter to commemorate the Data Act.
The legislation mainly aims to make it easier for users to easily transfer their data between different cloud service providers, supposedly making transferring data from one provider to another as easy as tapping a few buttons. In addition, users will have more control over their data, as the Act will also limit the ability of tech companies to sell and share collected data from users without their consent. Finally, the Act also covers generated data from “smart gadgets, machinery, and consumer products,” implying that video recordings from smart home cameras are also covered by the new law.
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App Store, iMessage, and iCloud are in the EU’s crosshairs
The new EU law is similar to its Digital Markets Act (DMA), in which “gatekeeper” tech companies will be forced to open up their platforms to third-party services including app marketplaces and payment platforms. The DMA will even require iMessage to interoperate with other messaging services such as WhatsApp and Telegram, in addition to the ability to set third-party apps as default for virtually every service or feature on iPhone.
The DMA has been signed into law and is now in effect, where Apple and other gatekeeper-designated companies will be forced to comply no later than 2024. As a result of the DMA, Apple is rumored to allow “sideloading” apps via third-party app stores as part of a future iOS 17 update that could go live in early 2024, according to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman.
