Apple has appealed parts of the Digital Markets Act law citing user privacy concerns. Specifically, Apple is contesting the interoperability requirements that say data like notification content and WiFi networks should be made available to third-parties.
Apple says the DMA as written allows others to “access personal information that even Apple doesn’t see”. This is because features like notification rendering and WiFi network data are currently handled on-device and stored in an encrypted fashion, so Apple cannot see that stuff. However, the DMA does not necessarily require third-party agents who would be able to access this same data to commit to the same standards of privacy and security.
Here’s Apple’s latest statement on the matter, in full:
“At Apple, we design our technology to work seamlessly together, so it can deliver the unique experience our users love and expect from our products. The EU’s interoperability requirements threaten that foundation, while creating a process that is unreasonable, costly, and stifles innovation. These requirements will also hand data-hungry companies sensitive information, which poses massive privacy and security risks to our EU users. Companies have already requested our users’ most sensitive data — from the content of their notifications, to a full history of every stored WiFi network on their device — giving them the ability to access personal information that even Apple doesn’t see. In the end, these deeply flawed rules that only target Apple—and no other company—will severely limit our ability to deliver innovative products and features to Europe, leading to an inferior user experience for our European customers. We are appealing these decisions on their behalf, and in order to preserve the high-quality experience our European customers expect.”
Apple voiced much of these same concerns back in March, when the EU officially ordered implementation of interoperability specifications.
The March announcement included a timeline which said sharing of iOS notifications should be made available in a beta version of iOS by the end of 2025, with a feature complete final release by June 2026. Similarly, facilitating automatic WiFi network connectivity to third-party devices should be made possible by the end of 2025, with Apple committed to adopt certain additional features by June 2026.
Companies like Meta, Garmin and Spotify argue that denying access to user notifications and other device configuration information serve as barriers to entry to iPhone customers. If they could access this data, they say they could more fairly compete with the integrated experiences of Apple’s devices like the Apple Watch and AirPods.
The deadline for the appeal was the end of May, so it’ll be a few months before the EU reaches a final judgement. Assuming the EU’s original order stays in place, we should see Apple add initial support for these capabilities as part of an update to iOS 19 (or should that be iOS 26) by the end of the year.
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