The European Union has sent Apple preliminary instructions On how the iPhone manufacturer expects to comply with the interoperability provisions in the BLOC (DMA) digital market law, the reform of market challenge.
According to the Commission, device manufacturers and application developers should have access to nine iOS connectivity features that were limited to the exclusive use of Apple before, such as Wi-Fi connectivity, NFC features and device coupling. As a result, Bluetooth headphones, smartwatches, connected TVs or other non -application devices should work better with an iPhone.
Google could use this opportunity to make airDrop operate with Android devices. Headset manufacturers could support Shareplay, a feature that only works with Airpods for now.
This follows the opening of the Commission’s two specific procedures in Apple in September – one of which focused on ensuring the effective interoperability of DMA, is effectively satisfied when it comes to Apple that allows connected devices to utilize iOS connectivity, including notifications and conjunction.
The second request for interoperability made by third -party applications with features of Apple’s iOS and iPados platforms. In this case, the Commission is an improved access to technical documentation as well as better communication with third -party companies using these characteristics. The EU calls for “timely communication and updates and a more predictable timetable for revising interoperability requests”.
Procedures are possible because Apple has been designated as a “gatekeeper” under the DMA, with both of its mobile platforms subject to the rules of interoperability of the so -called “basic platform services”. (Reminder: Penalties for non -compliance with DMA can reach up to 10% of the world’s annual turnover.)
While the legislation contains many in advance details of how the towers are expected to comply with the various provisions-such as the prohibitions of towers coming from the towers and, indeed, interoperability orders-the law also allows the Commission to determine more specific instructions.
The EU is about the fact that Apple does not provide an equal competition field for connected third-party devices to integrate on its platforms-for example, to be able to properly display iOS notifications on a smartwatch screen that does not have Apple or have a smooth iPhone mating experience with a smart speaker.
Apple is not happy for DMA, in general, or for these specific interoperability commands.
In the case of the latter, it accuses the EU of distinguishing its activities – since they have not yet undergone specification procedures.
In an update with reporters before the EU releasing preliminary findings about the process, Apple also attacked the committee’s actions as anti-innovation, framing the moves as mixing of micro-management by public officials.
The company argues that the actions of the bloc could end up limiting what technologies and features available in the area, since it has stated that the DMA would mean that it is forced to do all its innovations readily available to opponents-imposing that they should invest the time of engineering and detecting the testing.
In addition, Apple claims that the specifications procedures could lead to difficult consequences for the privacy and security of its European users – as it says the block requires sending non -encrypted data to third parties. According to Apple, the Commission rejected the proposals that made it try to mitigate some of these dangers.
Apple claims that interoperability requirements mean that they will be forced to expose potentially sensitive user data-from alerts containing personal messages or lump sums to details of Wi-Fi users who have joined external developers who could abuse the information about monitoring.
Social media commercials of Meta – whose business empire is based on monitoring and profile for the sale of ads – is a leading applicant for the application of the application per Apple.
Due to EU law interpretation, Apple also says that it will not be able to take measures to protect users from entities seeking to use the DMA to gain unlimited access to their information on their own commercial profit.
Apple also said TechCrunch that the EU has prevented Apple from providing information to users about the potential risks when they agree to receive iOS notifications on a third-party device-in this case users will see a pop-up, per Apple, but will simply ask if they wish to receive their notifications to the connected device without the additional framework.
The so-called “terrorism” screens of Apple-Aka, the pop-up information related to third-party transactions, interactions or access where the company frames contact with external entities as dangerous to its users-were a long-standing sadness Such tactics, in Openness, Openness is glossy to shoot for.
In a statement following the EU’s preliminary decision on the specifications process, Apple said: “Today’s decisions wrap us in bureaucracy, slowing Apple’s ability to innovate for users in Europe and force us to give away our new features.
A level of competition
While Apple frames DMA as anti-innovation, several smaller companies are complaining about the (lack of) interoperability of the company. Earlier this week, when the creator of Pebble Eric Migicovsky revealed his new smartwatches, he also wrote A long blog post Explaining all Apple restrictions that make smartwatchs from third parties worse than Apple Watch.
“There is no way to support all the functions that Apple Watch has access to.
Migicovsky describes his new company as “love work” for people looking for a fun, hackable smartwatch. And disagrees with Apple’s attacks on DMA. “They clearly use the power of their market to lock consumers in their fenced ecosystem. This causes the smaller competition, which increases prices and reduces innovation,” Migicovsky wrote.
And things have been done harder For third -party smartwatch companies in recent years. From iOS 13, the notification content previews are hidden on the iPhone lock screen until you unlock your iPhone. As a result, Smartwatch manufacturers cannot obtain the content of your notifications unless users manually activate full content previews on the lock screen.
Instead of asking users to weaken the level of security on iOS, Migicovsky would like to be able to use the same APIs used by Apple Watch. “If you live in Europe, thank you for voting for representatives who passed the DMA. We will apply for Apple in accordance with Article 6 of DMA to request interoperability with Apple Watch API,” he wrote.
While Migicovsky is the vocal opponent of this week of Apple platform restrictions, many starting founders are moving quietly in agreement. According to them, Apple should allocate a small part of its development resources to create a level of competition, allowing anyone to innovate and compete fairly with the technology company that today has the most market capitalization in the world.
