In a joint letter dated Tuesday 2 July, 10 European digital, privacy and human rights organisations detail the various legal problems and infringements found at Apple that contravene European legislation on digital markets.
The US company is currently the subject of three non-compliance investigations and has been suspected by the EU of knowingly breaching DMA rules since the end of June (see EUROPE 13348/15).
“Following up on the sometimes rushed conversations that occurred there, during the series of ‘compliance workshops’ with designated ‘gatekeepers’, we find it useful to provide the additional context, legal arguments, and data below for the Commission’s consideration, and hope that this information might also contribute to the ongoing non-compliance investigations”, the letter details in its introduction.
The signatories then go on to list the various points at which Apple has breached the DMA. On the subject of downloading applications via a process external to its ‘AppStore’, the objections identified correspond to the conclusions of the preliminary investigation carried out by the Commission (see EUROPE 13348/15).
The letter also rejects Apple’s arguments on the subject, citing security concerns and the integrity of its operating system: this block does not exist on devices using MacOS, proof that downloading third-party applications “does not endanger the integrity of the hardware or the operating system”, according to the signatories.
The choice of default browser is also singled out, as are the various obstacles encountered by users who wish to change it.
Finally, the lack of interoperability between Apple products, specifically iPhones and iPads, and competing operating software is criticised by the organisations (see EUROPE 13401/4).
See the letter: https://aeur.eu/f/cyi (Original version in French by Isalia Stieffatre)