EU wants to force Apple’s iPhone to work with third-party smartwatches and other accessories

The European Commission wants Apple to continue complying with the Digital Markets Act by requiring the company to offer “free and effective interoperability to third-party developers and businesses” on iOS and iPadOS devices.

According to the commission, Apple should offer the same capabilities it does for its own AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro products to other companies. However, it has yet to specify “how Apple will provide effective interoperability with functionalities such as notifications, device pairing, and connectivity.

The European Commission also wants Cupertino to improve the process it has set up to address interoperability requests submitted by developers and third parties for iOS and iPadOS . The request process needs to be “transparent, timely, and fair” so developers can have an “effective and predictable path to interoperability and are enabled to innovate.”

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“Today is the first time we use specification proceedings under the DMA to guide Apple towards effective compliance with its interoperability obligations through constructive dialogue. We are focused on ensuring fair and open digital markets. Effective interoperability, for example, with smartphones and their operating systems, plays an important role in this. This process will provide clarity for developers, third parties and Apple. We will continue our dialogue with Apple and consult third parties to ensure that the proposed measures work in practice and meet the needs of businesses,” said Margrethe Vestager, executive vice president in charge of the European Commission’s competition policy.

In the next six months, the European Commission will address how Apple should use these new measurements to “effectively comply with the interoperability obligation of the DMA.” Once everything has been addressed, the EU will communicate its preliminary findings with Apple. If Cupertino refuses, the European Commission says it could impose fines or periodic penalty payments.

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To BGR , Apple sent a statement about the European Commission’s decision, highlighting its concern about possible bad actors taking advantage of these potential new changes:

“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.”

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