The European Commission issued “guidance” Tuesday on changes it says Apple must make to comply with the interoperability requirements of the EU’s Digital Markets Act. The new mandates would open up the iPhone to work more closely with third-party smartwatches, headphones and TVs.
Apple says the new rules will undercut user privacy and slow innovation, and vows to make its case to the EU. It remains to be seen whether the changes will take effect only in Europe or globally.
EU further opens iPhone to accessory interoperability
The European Commission gained the power to tell companies how to operate from the Digital Markets Act — sweeping legislation that passed in 2023. Its purpose is to open up Big Tech to increased competition, and it targets Microsoft, Alphabet/Google, Meta/Facebook and other so-called gatekeepers in addition to Apple.
The DMA already forced Apple to allow alternative app stores and sideloading of apps for iPhone users in Europe. However, some developers complain that Apple’s compliance with EU mandates leaves something to be desired.
As the EC notes, “Under the DMA, Apple must provide free and effective interoperability to third-party developers and businesses with hardware and software features controlled by Apple’s operating systems iOS and iPadOS.”
Orders issued Tuesday include changes to nine iOS connectivity features.
“The measures will grant device manufacturers and app developers improved access to iPhone features that interact with such devices (e.g. displaying notifications on smartwatches), faster data transfers (e.g. peer-to-peer Wi-Fi connections, and near-field communication) and easier device set-up (e.g. pairing),” according to a statement from the European Commission.
In addition, the European Commission created new rules for the system Apple created to allow app developers to ask for additional interoperability access.
The EC’s promise is that the changes mean “connected devices of all brands will work better on iPhones. Device manufacturers will have new opportunities to bring innovative products to the market, improving the user experience for consumers based in Europe. The measures ensure that this innovation takes place in full respect of users’ privacy and security as well as the integrity of Apple’s operating systems.”
Apple responds negatively
Apple, unsurprisingly, is much less upbeat about the EC directive.
The EU’s new rules “wrap us in red tape, slowing down Apple’s ability to innovate for users in Europe and forcing us to give away our new features for free to companies who don’t have to play by the same rules,” Apple said in a statement to Cult of Mac. “It’s bad for our products and for our European users. We will continue to work with the European Commission to help them understand our concerns on behalf of our users.”
In a briefing, the company again raised the privacy concerns it’s expressed about the DMA from the beginning. Their comment echoed a white paper released in December claiming that Meta and others are already abusing changes required by the DMA.
“We are now seeing concrete examples of how a new approach to interoperability in the EU would put users at risk, requiring them to open their devices — and their most sensitive data — to companies with a track record of violating their privacy,” said the iPhone-maker.
Apple also said it thinks companies should benefit from their own hard work, not that of others. In Cupertino’s view, forcing Apple to allow outside companies to profit from the success of the iPhone is unfair. A company could make a cheap copycat Apple Watch, and Apple is now required to give the device the same iPhone access the real one has, for example.
In a worst-case scenario, why should Apple add a new feature to Apple Watch when the EU will require the company help its rivals implement the feature in their competing products? That’s the basis of Apple’s argument that the DMA harms innovation.
And it raises a larger issue: the European Commission classifies iOS as a “gatekeeper” because Apple’s decisions affect millions of iPhones used in Europe. But Apple thinks the European Commission has now taken on the role of gatekeeper, deciding what Apple is and isn’t allowed to do with its tech. And it feels it’s being singled out, with other companies not being hit with similar interoperability requirements to open their technology to all.
Nevertheless, Apple says it’s doing its best to comply, with hundreds of engineers tasked with meeting DMA demands.
