The European Commission intends to require iPhone and iPad to be more open to working with third-party smartwatches, headphones, virtual reality headsets and other accessories. On Thursday, the EC began proceedings to “specify how Apple will provide effective interoperability with functionalities such as notifications, device pairing and connectivity.”
Apple devices already work with a broad variety of accessories, but the company also says it has to balance connectivity with protecting user privacy.
EU wants top further open iOS and iPadOS to accessories
The European Commission gained power to tell companies how to operate from the Digital Markets Act — sweeping legislation that the EU passed in 2023. Its purpose is to open up Big Tech to more competition, and it targets Microsoft, Alphabet/Google, Meta/Facebook and others, in addition to Apple.
As the European Commission said in a statement on Thursday, “Under the DMA, Apple must provide free and effective interoperability to third party developers and businesses with hardware and software features controlled by Apple’s operating systems iOS and iPadOS.”
The EC started proceedings to ensure Apple APIs can be used by third-party accessory-makers to work with Apple’s handsets and tablets. This list of devices that could be affected is a long one.
“Connected devices are a varied, large and commercially important group of products, including smartwatches, headphones and virtual reality headsets,” said the Commission.
Apple responds to the EC
Apple warned the European Commission that openness can go too far. An official statement by the iPhone-maker sent to Cult of Mac says:
“At Apple, we’re proud of the fact that we’ve built over 250,000 APIs that allow developers to build apps that access our operating system and functionalities in a way that ensures users’ privacy and security. To comply with the DMA, we’ve also created ways for apps in the European Union to request additional interoperability with iOS and iPadOS while protecting our users. Undermining the protections we’ve built over time would put European consumers at risk, giving bad actors more ways to access their devices and data. We will continue to work constructively with the European Commission on a path forward that both protects our EU users and clarifies the regulation.”
The EC also plans to look into the system Apple created to allow app developers to ask to additional interoperability access to be sure it’s “transparent, timely, and fair.”
Note that these changes are primarily something only residents of the European Union need to be concerned about. Sometimes modifications made to iPhone and iPad required by the Digital Market Act go global, but generally they do not.