Why the EU Required Apple to Allow Rival iOS Browser Engines

This article provides an overview of why the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) forced Apple to lift its long-standing ban on alternative browser engines on iOS. By examining the pre-existing WebKit monopoly, the anti-steering provisions of the DMA, and the technological nature of web browsers, this piece explains how the regulation fosters fair competition for third-party developers while allowing Apple to retain its native WebKit engine for Safari.

The Historical WebKit Monopoly on iOS

Prior to the implementation of the Digital Markets Act, Apple enforced a strict rule in its App Store guidelines: every web browser operating on iOS had to use WebKit, Apple’s proprietary browser rendering engine.

Because of this restriction, popular competing browsers like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge could not use their own engines on iPhones. On desktop computers and Android devices, Chrome uses the Blink engine and Firefox uses Gecko. On iOS, however, these browsers were forced to act as little more than visual skins wrapped around Apple's WebKit.

Why the DMA Intervened

The European Union introduced the DMA to curb the power of digital "gatekeepers"—large tech companies that control access to essential platforms. The EU designated Apple as a gatekeeper and identified iOS and Safari as core platform services.

Regulators required Apple to allow alternative browser engines for three primary reasons:

  • Eliminating Feature Parity Limits: Because rival browsers had to use WebKit, they could never outperform Safari in core web rendering speed or support web standards that Apple chose not to implement. If WebKit had a bug, every browser on iOS had that same bug.
  • Unblocking Web Apps: Apple’s control over the sole browser engine allowed it to limit the capabilities of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs). By restricting what WebKit could do, Apple protected its App Store revenue by making web-based apps inferior to native iOS apps.
  • Encouraging Cross-Platform Innovation: Developers like Mozilla and Google invest heavily in their own browser engines to create unique privacy tools, extensions, and performance enhancements. The EU determined it was anti-competitive for Apple to block these companies from bringing their full technology stacks to iOS users.

Under Article 5(7) of the DMA, gatekeepers are explicitly prohibited from requiring business users to use their proprietary web browser engines. To comply with the law in the EU, Apple introduced updates in iOS 17.4 that allow approved third-party developers to build browsers using Blink, Gecko, or any other rendering engine.

Why Safari Still Uses WebKit

While the DMA forces Apple to open its operating system to rival technologies, it does not ban Apple from using its own technology. Safari continues to use WebKit because the regulation is designed to create a level playing field, not to dismantle Apple's own products.

WebKit is an open-source project primarily spearheaded by Apple, and it is deeply integrated into the architecture of both iOS and macOS. It is optimized specifically for Apple Silicon processors, focusing heavily on battery efficiency and system-level security.

The goal of the EU regulation was never to replace WebKit, but rather to force WebKit to compete on its own merits. In the European Union, Safari remains powered by WebKit, while competing browsers are finally free to use their own engines, giving consumers a true choice in how they experience the web on iOS.