The European Commission is instructing Apple to make iOS work better with third-party devices like smartwatches and headphones.
The Commission adopted two legally binding decisions Tuesday under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), the European competition law that governs large digital gatekeepers. The first decision will give app developers and device manufacturers more access to key iPhone features so that it’ll be easier for third-party gadgets to pair, transfer data, or display notifications. The second will require Apple to be more transparent in general around interoperability, giving developers access to technical documentation about how to make their services work with iPhones and iPads, and making sure there’s a “more predictable timeline” for how interoperability requests are reviewed.
Tuesday’s decisions “mark the first time the Commission outlines concrete measures for a gatekeeper to comply with the Digital Markets Act,” Europe’s executive vice president for clean, just, and competitive transition Teresa Ribera says in a statement. Apple can still fight the decisions, subject to judicial review. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“With these decision[s], we are simply implementing the law, and providing regulatory certainty both to Apple and to developers,” Ribera says. “Effective interoperability for third-party connected devices is an important step towards opening Apple’s ecosystem. This will lead to a better choice for consumers in the fast-growing market for innovative connected devices.”
