EU Chief Calls on Apple CEO Tim Cook to Open Hardware and Software Ecosystem

EU industry chief Thierry Breton today publicly called on Apple CEO Tim Cook to open the company’s ecosystem of hardware and software to rivals (via Reuters).

Following an in-person meeting with Cook earlier today in Brussels, Belgium, Breton told Reuters:

The next job for Apple and other Big Tech, under the DMA (Digital Markets Act) is to open up its gates to competitors. Be it the electronic wallet, browsers or app stores, consumers using an Apple iPhone should be able to benefit from competitive services by a range of providers.

The EU’s Digital Markets Act seeks to curtail the power of major tech companies. Designated “gatekeeper” platforms will now face prohibition against favoring their own services over those of rivals. Earlier this month, Apple’s App Store, Safari, and iOS were officially classified as gatekeepers. Apple is expected to add support for sideloading apps from outside the ‌App Store‌ on iPhones and iPads in Europe via an update to iOS 17 due to the DMA’s requirements.

Breton went on to be critical of Apple’s argument that security and privacy are the reasons it protects its closed ecosystem. “EU regulation fosters innovation, without compromising on security and privacy,” Breton added. After the discussion, Cook today visited a local Apple retail store in Brussels:

Apple apparently declined to respond to Breton’s latest remarks.

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