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Os utilizadores da Apple face às mudanças impostas pelo Digital Markets Act: um estudo de caso sobre o ecossistema iOS
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O presente estudo analisa os impactos decorrentes da implementação do Digital Markets Act (DMA) no ecossistema da Apple, na sequência da sua designação formal como gatekeeper pela Comissão Europeia em 2023. O DMA introduz um conjunto de obrigações ex ante destinadas a promover a contestabilidade dos mercados digitais e a assegurar maior liberdade de escolha aos utilizadores, designadamente através da abertura dos sistemas operativos à distribuição alternativa de aplicações, da possibilidade de utilização de métodos de pagamento externos e da introdução de mecanismos de escolha de serviços padrão, como navegadores de internet.
Partindo deste enquadramento regulatório, a investigação teve como objetivo central analisar de que forma as alterações técnicas e funcionais implementadas pela Apple para cumprimento das obrigações previstas no regulamento são percecionadas pelos utilizadores finais do seu ecossistema, bem como aferir se tais mudanças produzem efeitos efetivos na experiência de utilização e na predisposição para recorrer as novas alternativas.
Para esse efeito, foi adotada uma abordagem metodológica de natureza exploratória, com base num estudo de caso aplicado ao contexto europeu, mais concretamente em Portugal.
A recolha de dados empíricos foi realizada através de um questionário estruturado, composto maioritariamente por questões fechadas e escalas do tipo Likert, aplicado a uma amostra não probabilística de utilizadores do iPhone. O instrumento permitiu avaliar dimensões relacionadas com a experiência de utilização, perceções de segurança, confiança na App Store, integração entre dispositivos, bem como os custos de mudança associados à eventual transição para sistemas operativos alternativos.
Os resultados obtidos indicam que, apesar da implementação formal de medidas de abertura do ecossistema a adoção efetiva destas funcionalidades permanece residual entre os participantes. A maioria dos utilizadores continua a privilegiar a utilização dos
mecanismos oficiais disponibilizados pela Apple, evidenciando elevados níveis de confiança na segurança do sistema, na integração entre dispositivos e na estabilidade da experiência de utilização.
Adicionalmente, verificou-se que a reduzida predisposição para a mudança de sistema operativo não decorre de desconhecimento de alternativas, uma vez que a quase totalidade da amostra já teve experiência prévia com dispositivos Android. Antes, a permanência no ecossistema Apple parece resultar de uma escolha sustentada na valorização de atributos funcionais e relacionais.
Estes resultados sugerem que a abertura normativa dos ecossistemas digitais, imposta por via regulatória, não se traduz automaticamente em alterações comportamentais por parte dos utilizadores finais, cuja perceção de utilidade e valor permanece determinante para a adoção de alternativas tecnológicas. Neste sentido, a eficácia prática das medidas previstas no DMA poderá depender não apenas da sua implementação técnica, mas também de fatores comportamentais associados à experiência de utilização e à confiança na plataforma. Estes achados contribuem para a compreensão empírica dos efeitos da intervenção regulatória ex ante em ecossistemas digitais integrados, no contexto da implementação do Digital Markets Act.
This study analyses the impacts resulting from the implementation of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) within Apple’s ecosystem, following its formal designation as a gatekeeper by the European Commission in 2023. The DMA introduces a set of ex ante obligations aimed at promoting contestability in digital markets and ensuring greater user choice, notably through the opening of operating systems to alternative application distribution, the possibility of using external payment methods, and the introduction of default service choice mechanisms, such as internet browsers. Within this regulatory framework, the main objective of this research was to examine how the technical and functional changes implemented by Apple to comply with the obligations established under the regulation are perceived by end users of its ecosystem, as well as to assess whether such changes produce effective impacts on user experience and on the willingness to resort to alternatives outside the previously existing model. To this end, an exploratory methodological approach was adopted, based on a case study applied to the European context, more specifically in Portugal. Empirical data were collected through a structured questionnaire composed predominantly of closed-ended questions and Likert-type scales, administered to a non-probabilistic sample of iPhone users. The instrument enabled the assessment of dimensions related to user experience, perceptions of security, trust in the App Store, device integration, as well as switching costs associated with the potential transition to alternative operating systems. The results indicate that, despite the formal implementation of ecosystem-opening measures, such as the installation of alternative application stores or the use of external payment methods, the effective adoption of these functionalities remains residual among participants. Most users continue to favour the official mechanisms provided by Apple, demonstrating high levels of trust in system security, device integration, and the overall stability of the user experience. Furthermore, the limited willingness to switch operating systems does not appear to stem from a lack of familiarity with alternatives, as the vast majority of respondents reported prior experience with Android devices. Rather, continued participation in Apple’s ecosystem seems to reflect a choice grounded in the perceived value of functional and relational attributes, such as cross-device continuity, system predictability, and trust in application distribution and monetisation mechanisms. In this respect, the practical effectiveness of the measures introduced by the DMA may depend not only on their technical implementation but also on behavioural factors associated with user experience and trust in the platform.
This study analyses the impacts resulting from the implementation of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) within Apple’s ecosystem, following its formal designation as a gatekeeper by the European Commission in 2023. The DMA introduces a set of ex ante obligations aimed at promoting contestability in digital markets and ensuring greater user choice, notably through the opening of operating systems to alternative application distribution, the possibility of using external payment methods, and the introduction of default service choice mechanisms, such as internet browsers. Within this regulatory framework, the main objective of this research was to examine how the technical and functional changes implemented by Apple to comply with the obligations established under the regulation are perceived by end users of its ecosystem, as well as to assess whether such changes produce effective impacts on user experience and on the willingness to resort to alternatives outside the previously existing model. To this end, an exploratory methodological approach was adopted, based on a case study applied to the European context, more specifically in Portugal. Empirical data were collected through a structured questionnaire composed predominantly of closed-ended questions and Likert-type scales, administered to a non-probabilistic sample of iPhone users. The instrument enabled the assessment of dimensions related to user experience, perceptions of security, trust in the App Store, device integration, as well as switching costs associated with the potential transition to alternative operating systems. The results indicate that, despite the formal implementation of ecosystem-opening measures, such as the installation of alternative application stores or the use of external payment methods, the effective adoption of these functionalities remains residual among participants. Most users continue to favour the official mechanisms provided by Apple, demonstrating high levels of trust in system security, device integration, and the overall stability of the user experience. Furthermore, the limited willingness to switch operating systems does not appear to stem from a lack of familiarity with alternatives, as the vast majority of respondents reported prior experience with Android devices. Rather, continued participation in Apple’s ecosystem seems to reflect a choice grounded in the perceived value of functional and relational attributes, such as cross-device continuity, system predictability, and trust in application distribution and monetisation mechanisms. In this respect, the practical effectiveness of the measures introduced by the DMA may depend not only on their technical implementation but also on behavioural factors associated with user experience and trust in the platform.
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Lei dos Mercados Digitais (Digital Markets Act) controlador de acesso Apple experiência do utilizador regulação ex ante