The European Union has sent Apple preliminary instructions on how it expects the iPhone maker to comply with interoperability provisions in the bloc’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), its flagship market contestability reform.
According to the Commission, device manufacturers and app developers should be able to access nine iOS connectivity features that were restricted to Apple’s exclusive use before, such as peer-to-peer Wi-Fi connectivity, NFC features and device pairing. As a result, Bluetooth headphones, smartwatches, connected TVs or other, non-Apple devices should work better with an iPhone.
Google could use this opportunity to make AirDrop work with Android devices. Headphone manufacturers could support SharePlay, a feature that only works with AirPods for now.
This follows the Commission’s opening of two specification proceedings on Apple back in September – one of which focused on ensuring the DMA’s interoperability requirements are effectively met when it comes to Apple allowing connected devices to tap into iOS’s connectivity features, including notifications and device pairing.
The second concerns requests for interoperability made by third-party app developers with features of Apple’s iOS and iPadOS platforms. In that case, the Commission recommends improved access to technical documentation as well as better communication with third-party companies using those features. The EU is asking for “timely communication and updates, and a more predictable timeline for the review of interoperability requests.”
The proceedings are possible because Apple has been designated as a “gatekeeper” under the DMA, with both its mobile platforms subject to the regulation’s interoperability rules for so-called “core platform services”. (Reminder: Penalties for non-compliance with the DMA can reach up to 10% of global annual turnover.)
While the legislation contains plenty of upfront details about how gatekeepers are expected to comply with the various provisions – such as bans on gatekeepers self-preferencing and, indeed, interoperability mandates – the law also allows the Commission to set out more specific instructions where it believes extr
