The European Commission has stopped waiting for Apple to comply with the rules of the Digital Markets Act (DMA). It has begun proceedings to ensure that the company complies with its interoperability obligations as one of the DMA’s designated gatekeepers, which are made up of the industry’s biggest and most important players.
The Commission explained that under the DMA, it has the right to “adopt a decision specifying the measures to be implemented by the gatekeeper to ensure effective compliance,” and it is giving Apple six months to comply with the measures it has put in place if it doesn’t want to pay a hefty fine.
One of the areas the Commission will focus on is iOS connectivity for connected devices such as smartwatches, headphones, and virtual reality headsets. The Commission said that manufacturers of these products “rely on effective interoperability with smartphones and their operating systems.”
It plans to specify how Apple should provide effective interoperability that will allow non-Apple devices to easily pair and connect with iPhones, as well as receive notifications.
The Commission will also monitor the process Apple has set up to address developers’ requests for third-party interoperability with iOS and iPadOS.
“Today is the first time we are using specification proceedings under the DMA to guide Apple towards effective compliance with its interoperability obligations through constructive dialogue,” EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager said in a statement. “We are focused on ensuring fair and open digital markets.
Effective interoperability, for example with smartphones and their operating systems, plays a key role in this. This process will provide clarity for developers, third parties and Apple.
We will continue our dialogue with Apple and consult with third parties to ensure that the proposed measures work in practice and meet the needs of businesses.”
Back in June, the Commission released its preliminary findings for an investigation it launched into Apple. It found that Apple violated DMA rules because it would not allow App Store developers to freely tell users about alternative payment options outside of its ecosystem.
The company told Engadget at the time that it had “made a number of changes to comply with the DMA in response to feedback from developers and the European Commission over the past months”.
Apple has made a number of changes to its systems to avoid being fined in the EU, including opening up iOS and iPadOS to third-party app stores and allowing developers access to its NFC technology.
However, it has also stripped European users of new features due to DMA rules, including Apple Intelligence, iPhone mirroring on Macs, and SharePlay screen sharing.
The company told Bloomberg that it has found ways that would allow developers to request additional iOS and iPadOS interoperability while protecting the security of their users.
It said that reducing the security of its systems would put its European users at risk. As the news organization notes, the Commission could launch an investigation into Apple if the company does not comply with the measures it outlined in the next six months. If found guilty, the company could face a fine equivalent to 10 percent of its global annual revenue.