Commission pushes Apple towards interoperability under DMA

The European Commission took a step towards improving the interoperability of Apple's operating systems following the launch of two consultations on Wednesday (18 December).

The Digital Markets Act (DMA) is a landmark EU law designed to create a fair and open digital market by, among other things, placing obligations on dominant players, so-called 'gatekeepers', to prevent them from unfairly distorting the market in their favour.

One of these gatekeepers' obligations is a requirement in some situations to allow for third-party interoperability with their own services, which is what the Commission is now seeking to apply to Apple systems.

The announcement of the consultations (1, 2) was welcomed by Andreas Schwab MEP (EPP), who said the decision represented a “special day for the DMA” and that “interoperability is essential for fair and open competition.” 

Apple has tried to reframe the issue as a battle against Meta, which they accused of “seeking to alter functionality in a way that raises concerns about the privacy and security of users.” 

In support of that argument are the run-ins Meta has with EU privacy law, notably being fined this week (17 December) for earlier breaches of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Coco Carmona, executive director of the Coalition of Open Digital Ecosystems (CODE), which counts Meta among its member organisations, contacted Euractiv to pour cold water on Apple's argument.

She said, “The DMA allows all gatekeepers to ensure that genuine security and integrity concerns are adequately catered for – what it does not allow for is gatekeepers to use unsubstantiated security claims as an excuse for non-compliance and a continued anti-user approach.” 

The period of public consultation ends on 9 January 2025, and Apple is able to respond to that feedback ahead of any final decision by the Commission.

[Edited by Martina Monti]