Apple (XNAS-AAPL) has formally requested that the European Commission withdraw or revise key parts of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), warning that failure to do so could force the company to halt the sale of certain products in EU countries. The tech giant argues that the DMA compromises user experience and introduces security risks for Apple customers in Europe.
The DMA, enacted in November 2022, is a landmark EU regulation aimed at curbing the dominance of major tech platforms specifically Microsoft, Google, Apple, Amazon, Meta, and ByteDance. It mandates increased interoperability and competition, including requirements for Apple and Google to allow third party app stores on their devices. The goal is to give users more freedom in choosing where to download apps, while enhancing privacy protections.
Apple contends that the law imposes technical obligations that may not be feasible or safe to implement across all products. If the company is required to deliver devices with features that are not yet compliant with DMA standards particularly those related to privacy it could face regulatory penalties. In such cases, Apple says it may be “forced to stop supplying certain products in the EU.”
The company also highlights growing user dissatisfaction with changes made to comply with the DMA, though it has not disclosed the volume or nature of complaints. Apple further argues that allowing users to download alternative app stores could expose them to increased security vulnerabilities.