The European Union recently passed a law that will force smartphone manufacturers like Apple to use USB-C as the standard charging port for devices sold in the region. The law forces Apple to replace Lightning with USB-C on all future iPhones, not just EU-directed ones.

But there is another interesting piece of legislation in the region that could force Apple to make changes to the iPhone. And these changes are even more significant than the move to a USB-C charging port. This law may force the American company Apple to support third-party app stores on iPhone smartphones.

We are talking about the new European Union Digital Markets Law (DMA), which was adopted by the region for the first time in the summer. But it only took effect on November 1, and the tech giants operating in Europe have not yet felt the effects.

Changes will not be immediate. The EU has yet to decide which companies are the so-called “watchdogs”, subject to the new law. These are large companies to which the strictest rules will apply. This group is expected to include about a dozen companies in total. The European Union will make a statement on this matter next spring. Keepers will then have six months to comply.