Apple offers a choice, reluctantly

Hey y’all, Apple is now prompting iPhone users in Europe with a very un-Apple-like design: a pop-up screen. But first...Three things you nee [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( [by Austin Carr]( Hey y’all, Apple is now prompting iPhone users in Europe with a very un-Apple-like design: a pop-up screen. But first... Three things you need to know today: - Nintendo legend Miyamoto is [working on second Mario movie]( - Astera seeks [$534 million in IPO]( - Two top ransomware [gangs are imploding]( New rules inspired by old rules If you’re an iPhone owner living in Europe, the next time you open Safari you might see something strange: Apple Inc. will ask if you want to switch to a rival service. The unusual tweak arrives thanks to the European Union’s Digital Markets Act, which went into effect on March 7. The [sweeping regulation is triggering]( a bunch of changes in major platforms controlled by tech firms the EU has designated gatekeepers, including Apple and Google parent Alphabet Inc. Both companies, for example, are now being forced to include so-called choice screens for certain mobile apps like internet browsers. The DMA’s goal—to encourage more competition—is sensible, but this solution is pretty weak. Choice screens have a sad history in the tech industry, serving as a flashy fix that’s more often confused than helped consumers. Regulators already [forced Google to deliver a similar system]( on Android back in 2019, while Microsoft Corp. had to roll out a “browser ballot” for Windows in early 2010 that showed apps besides Internet Explorer such as Firefox, Opera and many other brands few had even heard of. Neither had its [intended effect](. “The ballot got in the way when customers were least prepared for it and asked them a question they weren’t interested in answering then, or really ever,” former Windows president [Steven Sinofsky recently wrote]( on his blog. “It was mandated nagware, the worst kind of software.” This latest implementation feels like more of the same. When EU users upgrade to the new version of iOS and first open Safari, a prompt will explain that they can change their default web browser and then offer a randomized list of up to 11 of the most popular services in each country. If you’re in, say, Hungary, you’ll see some names you likely recognize (Chrome, DuckDuckGo, Edge) alongside ones that may sound unfamiliar (Aloha, Vivaldi, Web@Work). Tapping one of the options will bring you to its page in the App Store. The big problem is that many consumers are unlikely to be able to tell the difference between the listings, let alone why they’re suddenly being asked to transition away from an Apple default. Some probably won’t know what a browser is. Skeptics have [wondered whether Apple intentionally crafted]( a poor experience to cripple the process, perhaps in hope that users will simply click the Safari icon they’re accustomed to, which is also included in the choice screen. (Apple says it designed the experience to ensure users can make an informed choice and learn more about each browser within its App Store review page.) A better question is whether out-of-the-blue choice screens are ever the right means of fostering choice. Last year, Mozilla Corp. published research on [alternative design interventions](. In tests with 27 study participants, the Firefox developer found, unsurprisingly, that timing and intent were crucial, meaning random pop-ups were likely to be dismissed. “Interrupting people in the middle of an unrelated workflow leads to feelings of annoyance or frustration,” wrote principal researcher Gemma Petrie. One concept that did test well was a defaults tab in app stores. Yes, people can already change some defaults in the settings menu, but such options are often buried. Centralizing the categories in a place where users are already going to search for new apps could be a more effective way to raise awareness for replacement browsers and search engines, as well as payment providers and mapping services. Others have called for [pushing gatekeeper apps lower]( in the list of available options or introducing [periodic default prompts]( during operating system onboarding and updates. It’s doubtful Apple will have much incentive to innovate on its current interface to comply with the DMA. Apple’s services chief Eddy Cue testified in a [court case only last fall]( that Apple detests the very idea of choice screens. “It doesn't make sense to us,” he said. “The more choices or the more options that you get, it frustrates customers.”—[Austin Carr](mailto:acarr54@bloomberg.net) Bloomberg Technology Summit: Led by Bloomberg Businessweek Editor Brad Stone and Bloomberg TV Host Emily Chang, this full-day experience in downtown San Francisco on May 9 will bring together leading CEOs, tech visionaries and industry icons to focus on what's next in AI, the chip wars, antitrust and life after the smartphone. [Learn more](. The big story OpenAI is facing additional scrutiny from Italy’s data protection watchdog over concerns that its [video-making services would process people’s personal information](. The Italian regulator is already investigating the AI company’s ChatGPT. One to watch Atsushi Taira, chairman and co-founder of The Edgeof, discusses his investment outlook for startups in Japan, and explains why he sees opportunities across Asia. He speaks with Annabelle Droulers and Haidi Stroud-Watts on "Dayrbreak Australia". Get fully charged Saudi Telecom is the highest bidder for [Altice’s Portuguese business](. Apple reversed a decision to ban Epic from launching [iPhone app store in the EU](. Russian state-sponsored hacking group is weaponizing [stolen Microsoft passwords](. Shein is set to face scrutiny in the EU [under the Digital Services Act](. 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