Apple, Google tell Europe its Digital Markets Act isn't working for them – or consumers
- Reference: 1758866188
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/09/26/google_apple_dma_review_submissions/
- Source link:
Cupertino kicked off the action on Wednesday with a [1]post that opens by stating the company's intention to create products that consumers and developers both appreciate – but then changes gear to argue that the DMA makes life harder for Apple and its customers without benefiting the European economy.
"The Digital Markets Act (DMA) is forcing us to make some concerning changes to how we design and deliver Apple products to our users in Europe."
[2]
Those changes include delaying the debut of products including live translation of conversations for owners of AirPods, storing users' favorite locations and preferred routes in Apple Maps, and mirroring iPhone screens onto Macs.
[3]
[4]
Cupertino's scribes say the company has suggested changes to those features to the European Commission, which rejected its suggestions "until we bring them to other companies' products."
The post also includes familiar arguments from Apple regarding erosion of security if users are allowed to acquire apps and make payments anywhere other than Cupertino's own app store. Apple also thinks Europe's competition requirements expose users of iThings to "much higher risk of surveillance and tracking."
[5]
Apple also feels it's been unfairly singled out for regulation, despite Samsung being Europe's dominant smartphone vendor, and complains that complying with evolving interpretations of the DMA slows its ability to innovate.
Above all, Apple argues that the DMA isn't helping to improve Europe's economy.
[6]Euro techies call for sovereign fund to escape Uncle Sam's digital death grip
[7]Europe hits Meta, Apple with €700M in fines for flouting DMA
[8]Google tweaks Play Store fees to keep Euro watchdogs at bay
[9]Microsoft blows deadline for special Azure for EU hosters
Google made similar points in a Thursday [10]post , which opens by observing that the DMA "is causing significant and unintended harm to European users and many of the small businesses it was meant to protect."
Google's senior director of competition Oliver Bethell points out that the DMA "requires Google Search to stop showing useful travel results that link directly to airline and hotel sites, and instead show links to intermediary websites that charge for inclusion."
Bethell argues that this increases prices for consumers and prioritizes "the commercial interests of a small set of intermediary sites — who often shout the loudest in these debates — over the ability of most businesses to sell directly to their customers."
[11]
Google's competition czar also argues that the DMA means Google will bring its AI features to Europe "up to a year after they launch in the rest of the world."
"This delay hurts European consumers and businesses who deserve access to the latest and greatest technology," he argues, before ending his post with a call for the European Commission "to ensure that future enforcement is user-driven, fact-based, consistent and clear."
These criticisms aren't unexpected, as in July the European Commission [12]commenced a review of the DMA, with a September 24 deadline for submissions.
At the time of writing, the EC appears not to have posted submissions online. The Register expects other tech giants will also have plenty to say about the DMA, and that the Trump administration will watch the situation with interest given its [13]belief that regulating or taxing American tech companies is harmful. ®
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[1] https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2025/09/the-digital-markets-acts-impacts-on-eu-users/
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/legal&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aNZkKFMHti2k_EhIHBWCdQAAAMo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/legal&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aNZkKFMHti2k_EhIHBWCdQAAAMo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/legal&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aNZkKFMHti2k_EhIHBWCdQAAAMo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/legal&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aNZkKFMHti2k_EhIHBWCdQAAAMo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2025/03/17/european_tech_sovereign_fund/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/23/meta_apple_dma_ruling/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/20/google_play_eu_changes/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/16/cispe_and_microsoft_abandon_dreams/
[10] https://blog.google/around-the-globe/google-europe/the-digital-markets-act-time-for-a-reset/
[11] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/legal&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aNZkKFMHti2k_EhIHBWCdQAAAMo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[12] https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/consultation-first-review-digital-markets-act_en
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/26/trump_tech_tax_threat/
[14] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Good
Tech giants complaining about the DMA means one thing: the DMA works as intended, and gives consumers and small comptetitors a leverage to counteract against said tech giants, protecting them from the latter abusing their market power and dominance. If the US wouldn't be an institution serving only the interests of the oligarchy, and of the oligarchy only, they'd adopt the DMA verbatim and impose those rules also, in order to protect American consumers and ensure fair competition.
Re: Good
Re: Good
You know you're going to have to punch that orange bully in the face, and stand your ground even if he kicks pitches a fit and starts kicking sand in your face. So the sooner your leaders grow a backbone and stop treating him like a world leader and start treating him like a spoiled toddler trying to ruin things for everyone else, the better it will be for all of us - both those of you in the EU and those of us in the US who don't want to see him succeed at making himself a dictator. There might be some short time pain while he cries himself out, but in the long run everyone will be better off.
PLEASE, dare him to tariff you 100%, and when he does do the same to him. China showed he has no answer for it when someone goes tit for tat on his childishness, and once the US markets start to suffer he'll be forced to back down.
"Above all, Apple argues that the DMA isn’t helping to improve Europe’s economy."
How much is an economy improved by airpods, do they have figures for that?
"Apple also feels it's been unfairly singled out for regulation, despite Samsung being Europe's dominant smartphone vendor"
Because Android already does half of this stuff.
>> Google’s competition czar also argues that the DMA means Google will bring its AI features to Europe “up to a year after they launch in the rest of the world.”
Oh dear!
(Paddy, can you give everybody a refill please? Just put it on my tab!)