Apple is calling on the European Union to take a closer look at the Digital Markets Act (DMA), warning that the act is causing delays in rolling out new features to users in Europe and creating significant security risks.
The DMA, which originally came into force in March 2024, aims to regulate the major “gatekeeper” tech platforms by requiring them to allow third-party app stores, alternative payments, and interoperability with non-native devices.
In April this year, the EU under the DMA ordered Apple to open up its strictly controlled iOS ecosystem to competitors for “interoperability,” granting device makers and app developers access to iPhone features so they can interact with other devices.
This includes opening up key iOS features such as notifications on smartwatches, faster data transfers like peer-to-peer Wi-Fi connections and near field communications (NFC), and an easier device pairing during a device setup.
However, the iPhone-maker argues that the DMA’s open interoperability clause is doing more harm than good to its customers in the European region, especially with several key iPhone updates now on hold and an increasingly complex risk landscape around apps.
While the intentions of the EU was and still is to foster and ensure fairness in the digital markets on the continent, as well as break down monopolistic control, Apple says the reality is less straightforward.
Due to the clause, Apple claims that several new features that have been announced globally have yet to reach the European market because of legal and technical challenges imposed by the EU’s DMA. Apple also contends that the interoperability requirement has introduced costly delays.
For example, features such as iPhone-to-Mac mirroring, AirPods live translation, and advanced location-based functionalities in Apple Maps, which are already available elsewhere, are currently unavailable to European users.
These capabilities rely on Apple’s tightly integrated ecosystem, which now faces rigorous scrutiny and modification demands from the EU.
“It’s become clear that we can’t solve every problem the DMA creates,” Apple said. “Over time, it’s become clear that the DMA isn’t helping markets. It’s making it harder to do business in Europe.”
Security and privacy also lie at the heart of Apple’s argument. Apple fears the DMA will force it to allow sideloading, which is the ability to install apps outside of the official App Store. Apple also fears that the DMA will force it to engage in the use of third-party app marketplaces.
While this may open the door for competition just like the EU wants, Apple warns that it can also expose users in Europe to malware, scams, pornography apps to its younger users, and other potentially harmful content that weren’t previously allowed on the company’s App Store.
This complements the tech giant’s argument that the DMA’s one-size-fits-all mandates to ensure fairness in the European market poses an undermining threat to the intuitive and secure experience Apple has built over years.
The European Union, however, maintains a firm position. The regulatory body has repeatedly affirmed that “gatekeepers” like Apple must comply fully with the DMA’s interoperability requirements to foster a truly competitive digital landscape.
“Gatekeepers, like Apple, must allow interoperability of third-party devices with their operating systems,” an EU spokesperson said.
The Union also views these obligations as a critical tool to end closed ecosystems and give consumers more choice and control over their devices.
However, what remains to be seen is whether European policymakers will revisit the DMA’s requirements to better account for user safety and security, or hold firm to strict competition laws despite the pushback from the American tech giant.
For European consumers, this regulatory stand-off means waiting a little longer for some of Apple’s latest user experiences, pending the time the regulatory body reaches a final decision.
