The iPhone-maker criticises Brussels’ Digital Markets Act and says delayed features are leading to a worse experience for users

Apple has called for the European Commission to repeal a swathe of technology legislation, warning that unless it is amended the company could stop shipping some products and services to the 27-country bloc.

The Silicon Valley company hit out in a submission to the commission’s review of the three-year-old anti-monopoly legislation, which is intended to regulate the gatekeeper power of the largest digital companies including search engines, app providers and messaging services.

It said it had already delayed the launch of features such as live translation through AirPods and mirroring iPhone screens on to laptop because of the act’s demands for interoperability with non-Apple products and services.

“The DMA means the list of delayed features in the EU will probably get longer, and our EU users’ experience on Apple products will fall further behind,” it said. Apple added that Brussels was creating unfair competition as the rules were not applied to Samsung, the largest smartphone provider in the EU.

  • my_hat_stinks@programming.dev
    141·
    4 hours ago

    Am I misreading this or are their arguments all complete nonsense? From what I can see in the article they have:

    1. They have to allow third-party headphones, i.e. the anti-monopoly policy prevents a monopoly.

    Among the requirements of the DMA is that Apple ensures that headphones made by other brands will work with iPhones. It said this has been a block on it releasing its live translation service in the EU as it allows rival companies to access data from conversations, creating a privacy problem.

    1. Other companies will “twist laws” to prevent competition, i.e. exactly what Apple is trying to do by removing regulation. I don’t see any way to interpret this other than an outright lie, anti-monopoly policies encourage competition.

    Apple said that under the DMA, “instead of competing by innovating, already successful companies are twisting the law to suit their own agendas – to collect more data from EU citizens, or to get Apple’s technology for free”.

    1. Porn exists? I don’t even know what they’re trying to say with this one?

    It said that rules under the act affected the way it provided users access to apps. “Pornography apps are available on iPhone from other marketplaces – apps we’ve never allowed on the App Store because of the risks they create, especially for children,” it said.

    • traceur201@piefed.socialEnglish
      91·
      4 hours ago

      the absurdity of their claims is how you can tell it’s working. we need more of it acsoss the board

    • unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de
      61·
      4 hours ago

      Am I misreading this or are their arguments all complete nonsense?

      Its apple … what did you expect? They have always been like this.

    • thesmokingman@programming.dev
      12·
      3 hours ago
      1. This is actually a privacy problem. If any company can access the live feed, it opens up serious surveillance issues. Granted, we have to trust Apple won’t surveil…
      2. I agree
      3. This has more to do with content moderation than prudishness. If you’re being held accountable for what kids can access on your platform, you take a very draconian approach. Granted, no one is yelling at Dell for allowing Steam to install porn games…
      • mina86@lemmy.wtfEnglish
        31·
        1 hour ago

        This is actually a privacy problem.

        Only so far as using any kind of product you haven’t built yourself from scratch is a privacy problem. I.e. it’s Apple imposing vendor lock-in.

        This has more to do with content moderation than prudishness.

        You’ve defeated this yourself pointing that no one goes after Dell. Again, this has to do with Apple imposing vendor lock-in.

      • i_am_not_a_robot@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
        61·
        2 hours ago

        They’re headphones. Somehow we’ve managed until this point without headphone-based spy devices. How is their translation software different?