Apple’s new rules in the European Union mean that starting with iOS 17.4 browsers will no longer be required to use WebKit, the engine that powers Safari, in their browsers. While that might seem like a welcome change for developers, Mozilla is actually “very disappointed” with how the plan has worked out.Speaking with The Verge, a Mozilla spokesperson says “The effect of this would be to force an independent browser like Firefox to build and maintain two separate browser implementations — a burden Apple themselves will not have to bear.”Mozilla’s issue is that the changes are only being made in the EU, which means the company will still need to have a WebKit version of its browser in other countries, including the United States.Leaders at Epic Games and Spotify have also been critical of the changes, which are still pending approval by the EU Commission.Firefox’s current official app for iOS, which was released in 2015, is not a full version of Firefox. Instead, the browser is essentially a shell on top of Safari’s webpage-rendering code.”
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Apple has also recently come under fire for how it’s allowing developers to accept third-party payments within iOS. That change, which is being made in response to the US Supreme Court refusing to hear Apple’s appeal in its battle with Epic Games required developers to pay a 27% on any purchases made through the third-party payment link.
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