Apple pushes EU to repeal tech rules over feature delays, app vulnerabilities

By Mrinmay Dey and Gnaneshwar Rajan

(Reuters) -Apple urged the European Union on Wednesday to repeal the landmark Digital Markets Act (DMA), a sweeping set of rules designed to rein in the power of Big Tech firms, and introduce a new regulation that it considers more suitable.

The request comes as the European Commission reviews the law, marking its first evaluation of the Act's effectiveness and its capacity to respond to emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence. The commission had invited stakeholder feedback until September 24.

iPhone maker Apple said that EU users are experiencing delays in new features and facing increased privacy and security risks due to the DMA.

Apple asked the commission to reassess how the law affects EU consumers who use its products, saying it will continue to work to deliver new features while meeting legal requirements.

The company said the law has forced it to postpone the rollout of several features in the EU, including iPhone Mirroring to Mac and Live Translation with AirPods, citing engineering challenges.

Apple, which sells millions of its devices and services in the bloc, said location-based features in Maps have been also postponed in the EU because the DMA requires Apple to make certain features work with non-Apple products or third-party developers before releasing them.

The iPhone maker said it has not found a way to comply with its demands without compromising user data and that its proposed safeguards were rejected by the European Commission.

"It's become clear that we can't solve every problem the DMA creates," Apple said.

"Over time, it's become clear that the DMA isn't helping markets. It's making it harder to do business in Europe."

The European Commission did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for comment.

In June, Apple changed rules and fees in its App Store in the EU to comply with the bloc's antitrust order.

The DMA, which came into force last year, requires large tech firms to open up their platforms to competitors.

Apple said this has led to a "riskier, less intuitive" app experience for EU users, with sideloading and alternative marketplaces introducing threats such as scams, malware and pornography apps, that were previously banned on the App Store.

The Trump administration has consistently criticised the DMA, while the Commission has firmly rebutted Trump's statement.

(Reporting by Mrinmay Dey, Gnaneshwar Rajan and Angela Christy in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Nilutpal Timsina in Bengaluru; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala, Subhranshu Sahu and Rashmi Aich)