EC Commissioner Says DMA Doesn’t Compromise Security and Privacy

Following a recent meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook, European Union (EU) Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton called on the tech giant to open up its ecosystem of hardware and software to rivals.

Breton emphasized the need for Apple, along with other Big Tech companies, to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and foster increased competition in the market, Reuters reported Tuesday (Sept. 26).

Under the newly adopted DMA, Apple and other tech companies are expected to adhere to a set of guidelines aimed at promoting fair competition, according to the report.

Breton specifically highlighted the importance of opening up Apple’s gates to competitors in areas such as electronic wallets, browsers and app stores, the report said. He argued that consumers using an Apple iPhone should have the opportunity to benefit from competitive services provided by a range of providers.

Apple has traditionally maintained a closed ecosystem, citing security and privacy concerns as the primary reasons behind this approach, per the report. However, Breton dismissed these arguments, telling Reuters that EU regulation can foster innovation without compromising on security and privacy.

The DMA targets “gatekeeper online platforms,” described as digital platforms with a systemic role in the internal market that function as bottlenecks between businesses and consumers for important digital services. Companies subject to the new rules will have until March 2024 to ensure their operations meet the requirements of the DMA.

Apple is one of the six tech giants named as “gatekeepers” under the DMA by the European Commission (EC) on Sept. 6, along with Alphabet, Amazon, ByteDance, Meta and Microsoft.

When the designations were announced, a spokesperson for Apple shared a statement: “We remain very concerned about the privacy and data security risks the DMA poses for our users. Our focus will be on how we mitigate these impacts and continue to deliver the very best products and services to our European customers.”

It was reported on Sept. 4 that Apple was protesting its “gatekeeper” designation. Before the EC made its announcement, Apple said that its iMessage does not have enough users to meet the DMA rules threshold, and as such should not have to do things like open the service to competitors.