Apple says EU digital rules delay features, seeks repeal; Commission rejects move

Apple on Thursday pressed regulators to repeal or scale back the European Union's Digital Markets Act, arguing the sweeping rules are delaying new features for European users, including live translation for AirPods. In a response to a European Commission consultation on the DMA, Apple said the act undermines innovation and threatens privacy and security. The iPhone maker noted that it has long opposed the law and was among the first companies fined under it, receiving a 500 million euro penalty in an app store case last year.

The European Commission, the bloc's executive arm, said there is absolutely no intention from the Commission’s side to repeal the DMA. Commission spokesman Thomas Regnier said the DMA is designed to curb anti-competitive behavior without lowering privacy or security standards. There is no sign regulators plan to unwind the act, which is meant to curb the market power of major tech platforms.

Apple said the concrete examples it cited illustrate how the DMA could slow innovation. Under the law, the live translation feature Apple unveiled earlier this month for use with AirPods would also have to work with wireless earbuds from other brands. The feature relies on an iPhone's on-device AI to translate conversations when other languages are spoken nearby, and Apple says it must ensure that conversations processed on the device remain private if used with non-Apple products. Apple says this prerequisite requires additional engineering work and has delayed some new features in the EU.

Other features the company says could be affected include iPhone Mirroring with Mac computers, and Apple Maps' Visited Places and Preferred Routes. Apple also argued that EU requirements to allow alternative app marketplaces and payment systems on iOS could expose users to security risks, such as online scams and malware disguised as games. In addition, DMA provisions requiring Apple to comply with rivals' requests to access user data and core technologies create “serious risk” for its users, the company said.

Apple said it is complying with the regulations but urged regulators to consider how the DMA affects Europeans. As part of its broader push, Apple reaffirmed that nothing in the DMA requires companies to lower privacy or security standards, and that the law should instead be used to increase user choice.