Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Over Feature Delays

[Biro]

As a customer having to deal with Apple's shenanigans since many years now, I'm not pissed at the EU but at Apple.
I'm quite invested in the "ecosystem" but seeing as it is so hard to get out of it I'm now more and more inclined into calling it a predatory scheme than an ecosystem.
I would gladly hop to Android, since it's been years since I've been even mildly excited by an Apple product. Problem, what do I do with my Watch ? My Airpods ?
People advertising this as synergy or whatever grand word are just delusional. It's a trap to keep you captive of their brand and make it as hard as possible to escape it.

But let me tell you, if Apple continues to treat us as cows trying to milk every single cent, especially with such a discourse, is slowly but surely making it easier to swallow the pill and throw out everything to switch to the competition.

I'm not that naïve, and I know a Pixel or a Galaxy phone is not miles ahead of an iPhone, but man do I feel more and more disgusted picking up that glass brick of an iPhone.

I think you should switch to the competition right now. Don’t complain - act.

 

[Webcat86]

I actually agree with you, that iPhone mirroring is an area where Apple should not be mandated to open the APIs for third parties. Maybe if they engaged in honest and bona fide talks with the EU, they could carve out an exception.

Apple is no doubt acutely aware of the slippery slope here. There should not be an exception, and I maintain that’s the wrong word because Apple is the only company this applies to.

If the EU was sincere in its approach then it should not be worrying about making everything open, it should be worried about making other companies strengthen their operations. Some of Google’s practices are unquestionably anti-consumer-privacy, its business relies on it. It has been fined repeatedly because of it.

And the EU points at Google and says to Apple “be more like that?” LOL. Apple should absolutely tell them to GTFO.

 

[MilaM]

It’s time to dissolve the European Union, keep the euro for stability, but return to straightforward, old-school trade agreements that foster real competition.

Good luck negotiating hundreds of bilateral trade agreements between European countries. I'm sure it will be a great success.

 

[Webcat86]

4. Apple’s ecosystem is sticky, but it also offers genuine benefits: seamless device handoff, continuity features, tight integration of accessories like AirPods, and cross-platform services like iCloud -- these are things you recognized. For many, this integration improves productivity and reduces friction. Calling it “predatory” ignores that lock-in is often the flip side of genuine convenience.

100% this. And this is but one reason why anyone who enjoys the benefits of Apple’s device interplay should be more hesitant to rush into praising the EU’s attempts here.

 

[samh004]

Apple should call their bluff and halt sales and services in Europe. Close up shop and see how users suffer with just one OS. I’m sure a magical black market will spring up in no time at all with workarounds to use the US App Store anyway.

My view will always be that if you don’t like something you have the power to change to something else. No one is making you buy a €1479 Pro Max, there are plenty of alternatives.

I choose the walled garden, I like what Apple says about user privacy - whether marketing crap or real.

So goodness knows why the EU wants to meddle so much in people’s lives? Seems like they’re in the wrong geographic location.

 

[Dr Nobody Important]

Makes me glad that I do not live in the EU with all of their corruption and idiot lawmakers.

 

[MilaM]

And the EU points at Google and says to Apple “be more like that?” LOL. Apple should absolutely tell them to GTFO.

It's compliance with the DMA today, or more drastic measures down the road.

 

[AND411]

I don't know if it would be possible, but perhaps Apple could sell devices in the EU where customers voluntarily waive the so-called benefits of the DMA? I would very much like to have these useful features, such as translation with Airpods, as I travel to Italy, France and Spain relatively often. Unfortunately, not many people in these countries speak English.

I am very grateful to the EU for bringing peace to what was once a very war-torn continent and for promoting understanding among the free peoples of Europe, but some things go too far and are patronising.

 

[SmOgER]

This is ridiculous. People know the risks of using 3rd party app stores. Let them be grown ups. Most people are not gonna be using those anyway. Paid apps that get "cracked" and shared there only last so long before they are flagged and stop working, so it's not really a threat to their App Store either way. Those stores are mostly just a niche way for a few hardcore power users to tinker with their devices.

 

[AND411]

Makes me glad that I do not live in the EU with all of their corruption and idiot lawmakers.

Completely exaggerated. Free trade in goods within a bloc of 450 million inhabitants, a common currency with few exceptions, my health insurance is valid when travelling in all 27 countries. I can take up residence in any EU country without asking anyone's permission. There are so many advantages that it is impossible to list them all.

There are still uneducated people who think that a single small country can survive in today's world.

 

[mrochester]

I don't know if it would be possible, but perhaps Apple could sell devices in the EU where customers voluntarily waive the so-called benefits of the DMA? I would very much like to have these useful features, such as translation with Airpods, as I travel to Italy, France and Spain relatively often. Unfortunately, not many people in these countries speak English.

I am very grateful to the EU for bringing peace to what was once a very war-torn continent and for promoting understanding among the free peoples of Europe, but some things go too far and are patronising.

That would be ideal as it would be a clear indication of whether consumers prefer Apple or the EUs approach.

 

[wanha]

Apple is the biggest player within EU https://gs.statcounter.com/vendor-market-share/mobile/europe

funny thing about that chart:

Samsung is just about neck and neck with Apple in EU marketshare, but the DMA only applies to Apple since Samsung is not designated a "gatekeeper" company by the EU.

That means Samsung can release whatever feature in the EU they want without the EU lifting an eyebrow, while Apple faces extensive regulatory and compliance requirements and review processes to introduce any new feature.

Since you seem to be a proponent of fair competition based on your first comment, do you think that such asymmetry in regulatory requirements fits under "fair competition" for these two companies with practically equal market share in the EU?

 

[wanha]

The EU’s own data says Apple has anywhere between 28-34% of the phone market depending on the document. This one says 34% (see bottom of page 104). They absolutely aren’t the biggest player.

https://ec.europa.eu/competition/antitrust/cases1/202419/AT_40437_10026012_3547_4.pdf

I think he meant biggest HW maker, not OS market share.

 

[AND411]

That would be ideal as it would be a clear indication of whether consumers prefer Apple or the EUs approach.

I think that 80% of buyers would purchase such a DMA-free device.

 

[MilaM]

Samsung is just about neck and neck with Apple in EU marketshare, but the DMA only applies to Apple since Samsung is not designated a "gatekeeper" company by the EU.

You can put all Android based phones in one category. For the purpose of the DMA, it does not really matter if you're buying a Samsung or Google phone. Thanks to Google Pay Services and the Play Store Google has such a grip on the platform, that Samsung's additional apps and services don't make a difference.

 

[Webcat86]

It's compliance with the DMA today, or more drastic measures down the road.

six of one and half a dozen of the other. Compliance will lead to ever-increasing demands and compliance will just further embolden the EU by showing that Apple will do as it’s told. If it bends when the stakes are as high as security and privacy, it will bend for anything.

 

[Webcat86]

I don't know if it would be possible, but perhaps Apple could sell devices in the EU where customers voluntarily waive the so-called benefits of the DMA? I would very much like to have these useful features, such as translation with Airpods, as I travel to Italy, France and Spain relatively often. Unfortunately, not many people in these countries speak English.

Then use the live translate from Google. Apple’s argument is that if it’s forced into offering what Google does, it can’t be done on the device and therefore can’t ensure privacy. So there’s no benefit to using Apple’s version over Google in that instance.

 

[wanha]

You can put all Android based phones in one category. For the purpose of the DMA, it does not really matter if you're buying a Samsung or Google phone. Thanks to Google Pay Services and the Play Store Google has such a grip on the platform, that Samsung's additional apps and services don't make a difference.

Samsung's additional apps don't make a difference to what exactly?

If they make no difference, why is Samsung making them?

The answer is surely to differentiate their phones from competitors, to add new bells and whistles.

 

[Webcat86]

This is ridiculous. People know the risks of using 3rd party app stores. Let them be grown ups. Most people are not gonna be using those anyway. Paid apps that get "cracked" and shared there only last so long before they are flagged and stop working, so it's not really a threat to their App Store either way. Those stores are mostly just a niche way for a few hardcore power users to tinker with their devices.

This is only one small part of what’s being discussed. More fundamental are the demands to Apple’s integrations, things like iPhone Mirroring and Live Translate on its devices and how it cannot open those up to, say, Windows PCs or off-device processing and still maintain the security that it does now. This is not a trivial matter.

 

[MilaM]

six of one and half a dozen of the other. Compliance will lead to ever-increasing demands and compliance will just further embolden the EU by showing that Apple will do as it’s told. If it bends when the stakes are as high as security and privacy, it will bend for anything.

I don't think this approach will work well for Apple, but we will indeed find out soon 🤷‍♂️.

 

[MilaM]

Samsung's additional apps don't make a difference to what exactly?

If they make no difference, why is Samsung making them?

Samsung's apps don't prevent you from installing third-party software. As an example, if you don't like Samsung's browser, you can just install a different one.

 

[Webcat86]

I don't think this approach will work well for Apple, but we will indeed find out soon 🤷‍♂️.

I make no prediction of the outcome but as a user of Apple’s devices and believer that security is something we need more, not less, of in the tech space, I am very pleased that Apple is taking a stand here and making public noise about the inherent risks of opening up its technology. I also think the conversation around data and privacy with off-device is important.

 

[AppliedMicro]

Boy have I waited hours for this today, to appear on macrumors. 😄

In a statement posted to its website, Apple says EU users now face exposure to malware through mandatory third-party app stores

...for which Apple still reserves the right to review and approve or deny apps to be distributed.

The review process either works - or it fails with Apple not detecting malware.
Just as they did not detect malware on their own store numerous times.

👉 It was never a "security" issue to allow installation of third-party apps when it benefitted Apple in sales and juicy services revenue. It's - alegedly - only become one once their monopoly over app distribution is in jeopardy.

with pornography and gambling apps appearing on iPhones for the first time

So what? Pornography and gambling is either legal or it is not.
It's merely a user interface to access said content / services.

It's not as if porn and gambling sites couldn't serve their content through other means, e.g. web apps.
They do, in fact - and some of them are among the best, most advanced and refined examples of web apps.

Exactly because they couldn't provide apps through application through the duopoly of mobile application stores controlled by Apple and Google.

iPhone Mirroring remains unavailable in Europe because Apple cannot extend the Mac-to-iPhone connectivity to Windows PCs without exposing user data

So what? That can (and should) be up to the user to decide.
I can make full backups of my iPhone on Windows PCs.
And these backups can be accessed through third-party apps on that PC.

Does that "expose" my user data on Windows PCs? Of course it does.
Apple just prioritised selling iPhones to Windows users (and the ability for them to sync it with their PCs).

👉 Just another instance where it was never an issue for Apple as long as it helped their sales.

Apple says it has also had to delay Visited Places and Preferred Routes in Maps, which store location data on device so it's only accessible to the user. "So far, our teams haven't found a way to share these capabilities with other developers without exposing our users' locations – something we are not willing to do," writes Apple.

Brazen hypocrisy, given how the same Apple had no qualms (or apologies) for auto-enabling enhanced visual search without user (my) consent recently. Enabling Apple to snoop on my location data that I meant not to share with them.

👉 Yet another instance where it was never an issue and swept under the rug, when it benefitted Apple with functionality that appeared "cool". And helped Timmy prop up usage figures for their lackadaisical "AI" features.

Similarly, plans to bring its AI-powered Live Translation feature for AirPods to EU users have been put on ice over privacy-based engineering challenges.

To quote from their official support article:

"Once the language models are downloaded, all processing takes place on your iPhone where all of your conversation data remains private"

So unless you (Apple) tell me what those alleged "privacy-based engineering challenges" are...

👉 I call it yet another brazen lie. Well, unless their translation isn't really as confined to being processed on-device as they claim it is in their support article. In which case, either way, they'd be lying.

I’d encourage everyone who supports the DMA to read this. Does a great job of explaining why it’s such a terrible law that harms users.

It does a great job of exposing a ruthless American mega-corporation sowing FUD and withholding features to stoke anger in its user base, in an attempt to attack legal regulation.

 

[cocky jeremy]

Why doesn't Apple understand that an adult should get unrestricted access to pornography apps? I still remember the time before YouTube and social networks, when pornography created the majority of all internet traffic.

If only they made a web browser that did that sort of thing... hm..

 

[surferfb]

I don't think this approach will work well for Apple, but we will indeed find out soon 🤷‍♂️.

Apple is complying though. While complying, also pointing out why the law is bad and hurts consumers.

Do you really think that just because the phone knows the wifi networks it has connected to that Apple should be required to give that information to any app developer who asks for it? Because that's literally what the DMA say with "if the Apple has access to it, third parties get access to it" requirement.