EU orders Apple to open up iOS connectivity features to third parties, and Google also accuses it of violating DMA in search and Google Play
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The EU has been pressuring Apple to allow third-party alternative app stores and sideloading , and in January 2024, Apple will allow iOS app distribution and payments outside the App Store within the EU.
The European Commission also wants Apple to 'provide access to iOS connectivity features for non-Apple branded devices, such as smartwatches, headphones and TVs. Such interoperability will enable deeper and more seamless integration of other companies' products into the Apple ecosystem. Interoperability is therefore key to opening up new possibilities for third parties to develop innovative products and services on Apple platforms,' the Commission said.
According to the European Commission, third-party products that interoperate with iOS will improve the user experience, including smartwatch notifications, peer-to-peer Wi-Fi connections, near-field communication and device pairing, and will give consumers a wider choice of products that are compatible with Apple devices.
The Commission also asked Apple to 'disclose detailed processes and timelines for responding to interoperability requests from app developers.' This would allow for improved access to technical documentation for features not yet available to third-party developers, timely communication and updates with Apple, and potentially faster and fairer processing of interoperability requests.
Commenting on the announcement, Teresa Rivera, the European Commission's antitrust chief, said: 'We are simply enforcing the law. If you do business in the EU, you must comply with all EU rules, including the DMA, regardless of where your company is incorporated.'
'The Commission's order requires competitors, including those that rely on copying others, to hand over their intellectual property,' Apple said in a statement. 'The Commission's order undermines Apple's ability to develop innovative products for European users and forces unrelated competitors to provide new Apple features for free. This order is unacceptable for our products and for European users.'
Apple also expressed concern that 'DMA could be used by some companies to siphon all user notifications in unencrypted form to their own servers, circumventing all of the privacy protections that Apple normally has in place.'
The European Commission's decision is legally binding, and if Apple does not comply, it could face fines of up to 10% of its annual global turnover.
The EU has also been investigating Google under the DMA since March 2024, and on March 19, 2025, sent Google a preliminary investigation result stating that 'Google has not complied with the DMA.'
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One of the findings about Google was that 'Google gives its own services more favourable treatment than its competitors in Google Search. Google gives its own services, such as shopping, hotel booking, transport, finance and sports results, more favourably in Google search results than similar services offered by third parties. Specifically, Google gives its services more prominence than third-party services by displaying them at the top of Google search results or in a dedicated space.'
The other is about Google's app store, Google Play, in which the European Commission criticized, 'Google makes it difficult for developers to direct consumers to app stores other than Google Play.' Under the DMA, app developers who distribute apps through Google Play must be able to present customers with free, cheaper alternatives, direct them to those offers, and allow them to make purchases.
The European Commission said: 'Google receives commission for app developers who acquire their first new customers through Google Play, but the commission it charges is excessive. Google charges developers excessive fees over a long period of time each time a user purchases a digital good or service.' If the findings of this preliminary investigation are found to be valid, the Commission will begin the process of adopting a non-compliance finding against Google.
On the other hand, Google released a statement , stating, 'The European Commission's announcement forces significant changes to Google Search, Android and Google Play that will not only hurt European businesses and consumers, but also stifle innovation, weaken security and reduce product quality. ' Google's competition director Oliver Bethell argued, 'The European Commission's findings call for a number of changes to how Google Search displays results, making it harder for users to find what they're looking for and reducing traffic to businesses in Europe. The Google Play changes will also put European users at risk of malware and fraud from malicious apps.'
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