Apple Appeals European Commission Order on Interoperability With Competitors’ Products

Apple reportedly filed an appeal against an order from the European Union’s antitrust regulator that requires the company to make its iOS operating system more compatible with other companies’ products.

The company filed its appeal Friday (May 30) at the EU’s General Court in Luxembourg, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported Monday (June 2).

An Apple spokesperson told the WSJ that the EU’s interoperability requirements threaten the user experience delivered by the seamless way the company’s technology works together; forces the company to share sensitive information with competitors; and poses security risks to its European customers.

“Companies have already requested our users’ most sensitive data — from the content of their notifications, to a full history of every stored Wi-Fi network on their device — giving them the ability to access personal information that even Apple doesn’t see,” the spokesperson said, per the report. “We are appealing these decisions on their behalf, and in order to preserve the high-quality experience our European customers expect.”

The EU’s competition regulator, the European Commission, said that to comply with its interoperability obligation under the Digital Markets Act, Apple must grant device manufacturers and app developers more access to iPhone features that interact with smartwatches, headphones or TVs and must provide developers with greater access to technical documentation and other resources that will help them obtain interoperability with features of the company’s iPhone and iPad, according to a March 18 press release.

The commission had designated Apple as a “gatekeeper” of the iOS and iPadOS operating systems in September 2023 and April 2024, respectively; opened proceedings on Apple’s compliance with the interoperability obligation in September 2024; and communicated its preliminary findings to Apple and invited third parties to provide feedback in December 2024, according to the release.

Teresa Ribera, executive vice-president for clean, just and competitive transition at the European Commission, said in the release that the commission’s decisions provided regulatory certainty to Apple and to developers and that it will ensure a “level playing field.”

“Effective interoperability for third-party connected devices is an important step towards opening Apple’s ecosystem,” Ribera said. “This will lead to a better choice for consumers in the fast-growing market for innovative connected devices.”