Apple’s public call to repeal or scale back the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) drew a swift response from Brussels: the Commission isn’t backing down. A day after Apple said the DMA is delaying features and increasing security risks for European users, EU officials signaled they have no intention of scrapping the rules designed to boost competition and consumer choice.
In a rare, strongly worded post, Apple claimed DMA interoperability requirements are forcing it to hold back features in the EU—including iPhone Mirroring, Live Translation with AirPods, and certain Apple Maps enhancements. Apple says its privacy-protecting proposals were rejected, and launching early could risk fines or even restrictions on shipping products in the bloc.
Apple frames the DMA as creating “worse experience” and new vectors for scams and malware by mandating alternative app stores and sideloading. It argues lawmakers should rethink or repeal the rules as the Commission reviews the law’s effectiveness.
EU officials have pushed back, emphasizing that the DMA is about competition and consumer choice, not lowering security or privacy. The Commission has recently enforced the DMA against Apple (including a €500 million fine earlier this year).
This flare-up lands amid the Commission’s ongoing DMA review and months of back-and-forth on Apple’s EU-specific App Store terms and fees. Even as Apple has tweaked policies to avert daily fines, its latest salvo suggests the company will keep contesting rules it believes compromise platform integrity—while the commission holds that opening up is precisely the point.
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