Apple appeals against EU mandate that it share its technology

As expected, Apple has formally filed an appeal against the European Union's ruling on interoperability, saying that it constitutes a massive privacy risk.

In December 2024, Apple made public its objections to the EU's interoperability plans in a white paper, centering on what it described as the Digital Markets Act's (DMA) security and privacy implications. Now as first spotted by Axios, the company's official appeal filing against the EU's fine repeats the points, and in particular stresses how other firms are set to exploit the ruling.

In a statement to AppleInsider, an Apple spokesperson says that the company is filing its appeal on behalf of the users it believes may potentially be harmed by the ruling.

"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's December 2024 white paper makes these same points, but is aimed at EU users. It says that "abuse of the DMA's interoperability mandate could expose your private information."

The company also noted at the time that Facebook owner Meta had made more interoperability requests than any other firm. Those requests, says Apple, include ones that appear "to be completely unrelated" to the function of Meta software or devices.

This appeal is the latest step in an ongoing discussion Apple has been having with the EU, while also attempting to gain public support for its position. In May 2025, as it was beginning its appeal against the $570 million antitrust fine, Apple claimed that the EU repeatedly ignores its requests for feedback and consultation.

Updated: 08:15 ET with Apple's statement to AppleInsider.

47 Comments

rob53 14 Years · 3361 comments

About 6 days ago

Apple owns its products not the EU. The EU has no right to dictate to Apple how its products operate. As I’ve said before, the EU has every right to build their own platforms but it’s obvious they don’t have the ability or talent to design and manufacture anything people, including those in EU countries, want. It’s time to boycott everything made in the EU but I’m not so sure there’s actually anything they make I really want.

13 Likes · 0 Dislikes

avon b7 21 Years · 8292 comments

About 6 days ago

rob53 said:

Apple owns its products not the EU. The EU has no right to dictate to Apple how its products operate. As I’ve said before, the EU has every right to build their own platforms but it’s obvious they don’t have the ability or talent to design and manufacture anything people, including those in EU countries, want. It’s time to boycott everything made in the EU but I’m not so sure there’s actually anything they make I really want.

The EU has every right to level playing fields and counter consumer harm and the stifling of innovation.

That has long been the case.

In the 'digital' world, the same ideas are applicable but new laws were needed specifically for the kind of cases explained here.

Do you remember the world pre-pdf?

Interoperability is key to the points mentioned above and for progress.

Mechanisms will have to be created and perfected but technology has the tendency to outpace legislation so these situations will persist until things get settled.

This isn't an Apple thing.

It's a EU thing! ICT carriers were forced to open up their technologies years ago and share their resources to a degree.

This isn't like the US where for as long as I can remember (and for all I know, may still be the case) your place of residence was a limiting factor to which carriers you could choose from.

I can opt for a virtual carrier which will use the infrastructure of one of the bigger players. That allows for competition to exist.

Left to its own devices, Apple does not allow for competition to exist. We know this and this is precisely why it is being forced to open up in certain areas (and not only the EU).

Of course, Apple is free to pull out of the EU. So is Google and Meta et al. Will they? Nope because, as you seem unwilling to contemplate, any pull-out would be met with very swift movements to fill any gaps.

You personally, may well be able to get by without EU products, but what would Apple's current supply chain do without ASML?

2 Likes · 17 Dislikes

9secondkox2 9 Years · 3505 comments

About 6 days ago

Not only is it a privacy risk, it’s STEALING - illegal in snd of itself. Apple paid its own money, blood, sweat, and tears building its tech. And the EU wants to steal it and give it to everyone else? What the heck? Pure evil. They really aren’t even hiding it anymore.

If all else fails, leave the EU. That’s just wrong. There is no way to defend that.

8 Likes · 2 Dislikes

kiltedgreen 17 Years · 657 comments

About 6 days ago

rob53 said:

Apple owns its products not the EU. The EU has no right to dictate to Apple how its products operate. As I’ve said before, the EU has every right to build their own platforms but it’s obvious they don’t have the ability or talent to design and manufacture anything people, including those in EU countries, want. It’s time to boycott everything made in the EU but I’m not so sure there’s actually anything they make I really want.

The EU absolutely can dictate to Apple how aspects of its products operate, that's what EU law is for. If you want to sell tech, fruit, cars, aeroplanes, clothes or whatever to members states of the EU then those products must abide by the rules that the EU sets. This will be in just the same way that the USA dictates the standards products sold there must meet (unless the USA is content to have dog meat sold as beef and TVs sold with totally unsafe wiring and cars made of old bits of rusty tin). They can be challenged, as Apple is doing and depending on the result Apple can either comply or withdraw from the market. In this case, I think the EU is overreaching and Apple is in the right (in what I know of the issue) but what is relevant is what the lawyers say.

To say that "they [EU member countries] don’t have the ability or talent to design and manufacture anything people, including those in EU countries, want" is just ridiculous and verifiably so. So, nobody wants cars from BMW, Ferrari, or Mercedes? Nobody wants British HiFi or ARM's tech? Not even in Europe? Are you seriously suggesting that?

Boycotting everything made in the EU? So no more French cheese or Champagne? No Italian clothing or wine? No Belgian chocolates? No IKEA or Lego? No Airbus? You seem to be using the same playbook as Trump! Hilariously, given his "Made in the USA" obsession, none of the merch in his Trump shop is made in the USA - most is from his evil enemy, China. You can't make up this kind of blinkered economic foolishness.