EU Watchdogs Begin Ensuring Apple Plays Nice With 3rd Party iPhone Devs

The European Union has launched what it refers to as “specification proceedings” in an effort to ensure that Apple is meeting its obligations under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), after the commission made it known that it would be investigating the company's behavior. The two proceedings will take place over the next six months, and if Apple fails to meet the requirements laid out by the commission, it will be forced to cough up 10% of its global annual sales.

The first proceeding will cover connectivity functionality and features provided by Apple’s operating systems. The commission states that it “intends to specify how Apple will provide effective interoperability with functionalities such as notifications, device pairing and connectivity.” This includes devices such as headphones, smartwatches alongside virtual reality headsets.
The second proceeding looks to tackle issues third-party developers and accessory makers encounter when trying to develop products for Apple’s ecosystem. One of the key goals for the commission is to create a “request process is transparent, timely, and fair so that all developers have an effective and predictable path to interoperability and are enabled to innovate.”

Apple didn’t help itself in this situation, as it has often been accused of dragging its feet in regard to the new regulatory regime now in effect in the European Union. Of course vocal criticism has been streaming in from several tech CEOs who are unhappy with Apple’s behavior, including Epic Game’s CEO Tim Sweeney, who referred to the changes Apple has made as “malicious compliance.” Meanwhile, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek called out Apple’s reasoning as a “masterclass in distortion.”

It will be interesting see how Apple approaches these newly announced proceedings. The company prefers to have as much control as possible over its walled garden, but is it willing to sacrifice that 10% fee to continue to keep that kind of control?

Top Image, Credit: European Commission Audiovisual Service