Readers may recall that Japan recently passed the Smartphone Act, officially the Bill on the Promotion of Competition for Specified Software Used in Smartphones. Among its most important reforms is a direct prohibition on Apple’s long-standing ban on third-party browser engines on iOS.| Open Web Advocacy
TL;DR: Apple’s rules and technical restrictions are blocking other browser vendors from successfully offering their own engines to users in the EU. At the recent Digital Markets Act (DMA) workshop, Apple claimed it didn’t know why no browser vendor has ported their engine to iOS over the past 15 months. But the reality is Apple knows exactly what the barriers are, and has chosen not to remove them.| Open Web Advocacy
Regulators around the world are working to address competition issues in digital markets, particularly on mobile devices. Several new laws have already been passed, including the UK’s Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCC), Japan’s Smartphone Act, and the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). Australia and the United States are also considering similar legislation with the U.S. Department of Justice pursuing an antitrust case against Apple. Across all of these efforts, common q...| Open Web Advocacy
The UK's Mobile Browsers and Cloud Gaming Market Investigation Reference (MIR) has published its final report. The conclusion is clear: Apple’s “WebKit restriction”, which forces all browsers on iOS to use Apple’s engine, harms competition, stifles innovation and functionality, particularly for Web Apps.| Open Web Advocacy
As 2025 begins, it's a perfect moment to reflect on 2024’s developments, achievements, and what lies ahead regarding regulators, browsers, and web applications.| Open Web Advocacy
TL;DR: We believe the UK Market Investigation Reference is missing critical remedies. Most importantly "Apple shall allow third-party browsers to install and manage Web Apps using their own browser engine.". We need YOU to write to the CMA (before August 29th) and provide feedback on why allowing browsers to compete in providing Web App functionality is important.| Open Web Advocacy
TLDR: For 7 years, Google has failed to keep its commitment to share the ability to install Web Apps with third-party browsers on Android, despite public requests from Samsung, Microsoft, Brave & Kiwi browser. With regulatory intervention from the EU, Japan and the UK that may be changing.| Open Web Advocacy
The Digital Markets Act (DMA) grace period for gatekeepers to comply has now ended.| Open Web Advocacy
In 2011, Philip Schiller internally sent an email to Eddie Cue to discuss the threat of HTML5 to the Apple App Store titled “HTML5 poses a threat to both Flash and the App Store”.| Open Web Advocacy
TL;DR: Web Push on iOS is nearing its one year anniversary. It's still mostly useless.| Webventures
# Will Apple ever let browsers and Web Apps compete fairly?| Open Web Advocacy
We have been alerted that Apple has broken Web App (PWA) support in the EU via iOS 17.4 Beta. Sites installed to the homescreen failed to launch in their own top-level activities, opening in Safari instead. This demotes Web Apps from first-class citizens in the OS to mere shortcuts. Developers confirmed the bug did not occur outside the EU.| Open Web Advocacy
OWA’s key goal is to enable true competition and browser choice across all devices. But, why do we care so deeply about this, and what would success look like?| Open Web Advocacy
The CMA invited responses to its interim report.| Open Web Advocacy
What's going on with WebKit is not 'normal'. At no time since 2007 has the codebase gotten this much love this quickly; but why? Time for a deep dive.| Infrequently Noted