the The European Commission has opened new procedures. Under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) that will see the EU guide Apple on how it complies with its interoperability obligations, the “specification procedure” focusing on iOS and iPadOS will be completed in six months.
Under the DMA, Apple is required to provide third parties with “free and effective compatibility” with the hardware and software features controlled by iOS and iPadOS. Now, the EU is helping Apple understand exactly what that means.
“Today is the first time we have used the specification procedure under the DMA to guide Apple towards effective compliance with its compatibility obligations through constructive dialogue,” said outgoing EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager. “We are focused on ensuring fair and open digital markets. Effective compatibility, for example with smartphones and their operating systems, plays an important role in this.”
The first specification will examine how Apple’s iOS handles compatibility with devices like headphones, smartwatches, and VR headsets, particularly with regard to features like notifications, device pairing, and connectivity. While the EU doesn’t specify, we can imagine it wants to address Apple’s lack of support for headphones with true multipoint Bluetooth capabilities and the long-standing complaint from Garmin watch owners who can’t send quick replies when paired with an iPhone.
The second session will focus on how Apple handles interoperability requests from third-party developers who want to bring their products to iOS and iPadOS devices. In a statement to BloombergApple said it had provided secure ways for developers to request additional compatibility between iPhones and iPads, and that undermining the system protections it had built in would put European consumers at risk.
The Commission says it will “notify Apple of its preliminary findings, explaining the measures the gateway must take to effectively comply with the device compatibility obligation under the Data Access Agreement.” A summary of the agreement will also be published for third parties to comment on. If the iPhone maker fails to comply, it could eventually face fines of up to 10% of its global annual turnover, but only after a lengthy investigation into non-compliance.
In September last year, Apple was designated a “gateway” — a large tech platform that provides essential services that can impact competition in the market — along with Microsoft, Meta, Amazon and Alphabet.
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