Apple invokes EU rules on digital markets

Apple has appealed a European Union request under the Digital Markets Act to improve compatibility between its software and third-party devices, the news site Axios and the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter and noting that in March the EU asked Cupertino to allow access to nine key features of its iOS operating system.

On May 30, Apple appealed this decision to the General Court of the European Union in Luxembourg. Among the key points, for the EU, is the need for Cupertino to make it easier to configure gadgets from competing brands by aligning the operations with those provided for home accessories. But also the complete opening of notifications between different products, currently possible only if using devices from the Californian company.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the American giant will oppose the requirements added to the Digital Markets Act, mainly on privacy grounds. An Apple spokesperson explained to the newspaper that "the new requirements imposed by the EU create an unreasonable, expensive and innovation-stifling process." "Companies have already requested our users' most sensitive data," he added, "from the content of notifications to the complete history of every Wi-Fi network stored on their devices, with the ability to read personal information that not even Apple can see. We will appeal these decisions on their behalf and to preserve the quality experience that European customers expect."

Cupertino has already received a fine of 500 million euros from the European Commission in April 2025 for violations of the Digital Markets Act. It is accused of not respecting the 'anti-steering' obligation of the European law by not allowing developers the possibility of redirecting users to services outside the App Store. A similar fine, for 200 million, was also imposed on Meta.