Apple Delays More EU Features Over Digital Markets Act
▼ Summary
– Apple is delaying some product features in Europe due to compliance challenges with the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), citing increased complexity and risks for users.
– The delayed features include AI-powered Live Translation for AirPods, iPhone Mirroring, and certain Apple Maps functionalities.
– Apple claims it cannot make these specific features available on non-Apple devices without compromising user data security and privacy, as required by DMA interoperability rules.
– Despite the delays, Apple is developing some DMA-compliant features, such as notification forwarding to non-Apple devices and easier iPhone pairing with third-party accessories, as seen in an iOS beta.
– Apple faces a deadline to open up these features by year’s end or risk further fines, and the company is advocating for the DMA to be repealed and replaced.
Certain product features will take longer to reach European consumers as Apple navigates the complexities of the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The company announced a delay for several anticipated functionalities, citing significant challenges in aligning them with the new EU regulations. Apple’s official statement points to the increased complexity and potential risks for users stemming from the legal requirement to open its ecosystem to third-party devices and services.
The specific features affected are AI-driven Live Translation for AirPods, iPhone Mirroring, and the Visited Places and Preferred Routes functions within Apple Maps. A core principle of the DMA is interoperability, compelling major tech firms to make their proprietary apps and device features accessible on competing hardware. Apple maintains that it has not yet discovered a method to extend these particular capabilities to non-Apple products without potentially undermining the data security and privacy standards it promises its customers.
On a more positive note, other DMA mandates are beginning to show results. The latest beta version of iOS includes developments for a “notification forwarding” capability, which would allow iPhone alerts to appear on devices like smartwatches from other manufacturers. This beta also hints at improved processes for pairing iPhones with third-party accessories, indicating progress in certain areas of compliance.
Despite these incremental advances, Apple continues to express strong opposition to the legislation. The company reports dedicating immense resources—amounting to thousands of hours—to meet the DMA’s demands. It has also warned that the list of postponed features in the European Union is likely to grow as it confronts these technical and policy hurdles. The European Union has set a deadline for the end of this year for Apple to open most of its features to European users, under threat of further financial penalties. This follows a recent $580 million fine imposed on Apple in April for App Store violations related to the DMA’s anti-steering rules.
In a feedback submission reviewed by the Financial Times, Apple argued for the DMA to be repealed and replaced with what it deems a “more appropriate fit for purpose legislative instrument.” While the company’s stated worries about user security are valid, there is also a clear business incentive behind its stance. The DMA threatens the “walled garden” approach that encourages customer loyalty within Apple’s product ecosystem. By withholding features from European users citing compliance concerns, Apple may also be strategically reinforcing its argument with the EU and rallying its user base to its side in the ongoing dispute.
(Source: The Verge)
