Apple and Meta clash over mandatory DMA interoperability requests

Apple issued a Meta complaint regarding mandatory DMA interoperability requests. . The iPhone maker says Meta has issued 15 of these requests, which it says could impact users’ privacy and security. Meta disagrees.

First, a quick primer. the It requires that Apple allow competitors and third-party app developers to interact with its own services or risk a hefty fine of up to ten percent of global sales volume. Under the terms of the DMA, Apple must allow other companies to submit hardware and software interoperability requests that affect iOS and iPadOS devices.

Apple must evaluate these requests and, if approved, design a solution that allows for effective interoperability. Meta has issued 15 of these orders, more than any other company, and Apple says compliance will give the company broad access to its technology stack. Apple also says that doing so could put users’ privacy and security at risk.

“If Apple had to agree to all these requests, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp could enable Meta to read all of a user’s messages and emails on a user’s device, see every phone call they make or receive, and track every app they use,” they wrote, clearing all their photos. , look at their files and calendar events, log all their passwords and more,” Apple wrote in a statement to Reuters.

The company also pointed to Meta’s recent privacy issues across Europe. Meta has been fined in many countries for And for among other concerns.

Mita, of course, has a different perspective on things. “What Apple is actually saying is that it doesn’t believe in interoperability,” the social media and virtual reality giant wrote. “Every time Apple is criticized for anti-competitive behavior, it is defending itself on privacy grounds that have no basis in reality.”

We don’t know whether the EU will intervene on behalf of Apple or Meta in this case, but the European Commission recently on . These measures will require Apple to be transparent regarding the various stages, deadlines, and standards involved in completing interoperability requests.

These proposed measures are open for discussion until January 9. In March, a decision is expected on whether Apple has complied with the DMA’s interoperability requirement.