Apple Challenges EU Interoperability Directive in High-Stakes Appeal

Ticker BuzzMonday, Jun 2, 2025 9:00 am ET
1min read

Apple has recently lodged an appeal with the General Court of the European Union based in Luxembourg, challenging the demands of the EU's antitrust regulator under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The contested directive outlines specific measures for Apple to enhance compatibility between its iOS operating system and products from rival tech companies.

In a move to curb the market power of major tech corporations, the European Union has established interoperability rules. In March last year, the European Commission informed Apple of its belief that Apple should take steps to make iOS devices more compatible with competitors' products, ranging from applications to headphones and virtual reality headsets, to adhere to these rules.

This entails Apple granting software developers and device manufacturers access to parts of its operating system historically exclusive to Apple's own products, such as permitting notifications to appear on competing wearable technology devices.

Apple's appeal against this decision was formally submitted on May 30th, though it is common for the court proceedings to remain undisclosed for several days following submission. An Apple spokesperson criticized the EU's interoperability requirements as "fundamentally flawed," arguing that the directive compels Apple to share sensitive information with its competitors, potentially compromising the security of European users.

The spokesperson further emphasized, "At Apple, we design our technology to work seamlessly together, delivering the unique product experience our users love and expect. The EU's interoperability requirements threaten this foundation while creating an unjust, costly, and innovation-stifling process."

Apple highlighted the potential risks posed by requests from companies seeking access to sensitive user data—ranging from notification contents to historical WiFi network data stored on devices—which could grant access to personal information that Apple itself cannot view. In appealing these decisions, Apple aims to protect the high-quality experience expected by European users.

Following an initial proposal by the European Commission in December last year, Apple had criticized a similar data access request by Meta Platforms. Should the EU determine that a company has breached these regulations, it could face fines up to 10% of its global annual revenue. In extreme cases, the EU Commission could even mandate the divestiture of certain business segments.

An EU Commission spokesperson maintained that their decisions align fully with the Digital Markets Act, stating, "We will defend these decisions in court."