Apple escalates clash with EU regulators over Digital Markets Act as AirPods Pro 3 stirs debate

Apple stepped up its public dispute with European regulators Friday, accusing Brussels of unfairly challenging its closed ecosystem and denying users the "magical, innovative experience" that the company says distinguishes its products. In a briefing ahead of a high-profile product launch, Apple chief hardware officer Greg Joswiak described regulators as "bureaucrats in Brussels" who are undermining innovation and harming user privacy and security. "We have a serious threat to that in Europe," Joswiak said.

The clash comes as the European Union presses ahead with the Digital Markets Act, a new set of rules aimed at rebalancing digital power. The DMA, which came into force in 2022 and began applying in 2024, targets several major tech platforms. In Apple's case, the regime requires that devices from other brands work with iPhones, that notifications can appear on third‑party smartwatches, and that other platforms can send and receive content to and from Apple devices via AirDrop. The European Consumer advocacy group BEUC argues that the rules are designed to give consumers real choices in a market long dominated by a handful of platforms. "That's a good thing for consumers, because that means you actually have choice over which device you're going to use, and you can get them to talk to one another, essentially," BEUC’s Sébastien Pant said. It is a goal regulators say is undermined when a so‑called walled garden blocks rivals and curtails competition.

But Apple is publicly pushing back as it rolls out its new AirPods Pro 3. The wireless earphones will feature Live Translation, a feature that lets users hear translated speech in their preferred language. The new AirPods Pro 3 and Live Translation were released last week in the United States, but Apple said they will not yet be available to users in Europe. The company noted that the technology relies on the microphones in the AirPods and the iPhone working together, and that opening up access to other devices would require extra engineering work to meet user expectations on privacy, security and integrity. "They want to take the magic away — of having a tightly integrated experience that Apple provides — and make us like the other guys," Joswiak said during a press briefing at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California.

Apple had largely kept its public disagreements with regulators private, but the tone has sharpened as the EU and other jurisdictions press for broader access to Apple’s devices and services. The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, published a decision on Friday rejecting Apple’s bid to scrap most of an order that would force the company to make iPhone features interoperable with non‑Apple devices and services. The Commission’s move underscores Brussels’ willingness to push back against Apple’s preferred model of a tightly integrated hardware‑and‑software environment. In the United Kingdom, the Competition and Markets Authority has also moved ahead with its own scrutiny of digital platforms, signaling a broader cross‑border push to loosen the grip of dominant tech ecosystems. Joswiak condemned the line of travel in Europe, arguing that regulators are "creating a worse experience for their citizens — our users," and that they risk undermining innovation, infringing intellectual property, and compromising privacy and security.

The regulatory friction extends beyond Apple’s app ecosystem. Meta, the parent company of Instagram and WhatsApp, has also held back certain features in the EU to comply with DMA requirements concerning how apps gather and handle user data. Pant noted that the DMA has caused several platforms to pause or postpone feature rollouts in Europe until regulatory clarity is achieved. The net effect, industry watchers say, is a slower pace of updates in the region even as consumer expectations for interconnectivity grow.

Industry observers say the DMA is changing the landscape for cross‑device interoperability and data flows, and that the battle between Apple and regulators is likely to continue as the EU tightens its interpretation of the rules and expands enforcement. The Commission has signaled that enforcing the DMA will remain a priority, with ongoing reviews of how large platforms comply, how interoperability is implemented, and how consumer data is handled when interacting across ecosystems. For Apple, the stakes are not just compliance but the future of its brand promise: a seamless, high‑quality experience that the company says cannot be replicated by mere compatibility alone. Regulators meanwhile argue that interoperability and openness are essential to providing consumer choice, preventing market distortions, and stimulating innovation across the broader digital economy.

As this debate evolves, analysts say the DMA’s impact will hinge on practical implementations and court interpretations across multiple jurisdictions. Apple’s strategy in Europe, they add, could influence how other tech giants approach compliance, product design, and cross‑border services. For now, the company’s public posture signals that it intends to defend its model of tightly integrated hardware and software while continuing to test the boundaries of regulatory oversight. The outcome could reshape not only how Apple builds products for European users but how it designs its ecosystem for a global audience in an era of rising calls for greater interoperability and consumer control.

As regulators press on, the conversation around the Digital Markets Act and its reach into everyday devices is unlikely to fade soon. Apple’s next moves, both in Europe and in other markets, will be watched closely by competitors, consumer groups, and policymakers who see interoperability as a path to a more competitive and innovative digital economy.