Excerpt from WioNews Article, Published on Mar 19, 2024
Amidst heightened regulatory scrutiny, tech giant Apple has stood firm on its compliance with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), countering criticisms of its purported failure to sufficiently open up its closed ecosystem as mandated by the legislation.
The DMA, which recently came into effect on March 7, imposes a series of obligations and prohibitions on major tech players, including Apple, Google, Amazon, Byte Dance, Meta Platforms, and Microsoft. Despite facing intense scrutiny, Apple has maintained its alignment with the DMA’s requirements, pointing to recent adjustments aimed at fostering a more open app distribution ecosystem within the EU.
During a comprehensive day-long hearing organized by the European Commission, Apple’s legal representative, Kyle Andeer, underscored the company’s unwavering commitment to complying with the law. Andeer emphasized Apple’s adherence to its core values and user-centrist approach, stating, “We were guided first and foremost by ensuring that we’ve complied with the law. And then second, that we did it in a way that was consistent with our values and consistent with the language that we’ve developed with our users over a very long period of time.”
While Apple asserts its compliance with the DMA, other tech giants are slated to present their respective efforts towards compliance in separate hearings convened by the European Commission. In the coming days, Meta Platforms, Amazon, Alphabet, Byte Dance, and Microsoft will outline their strategies, marking a broader examination of industry practices in line with the DMA’s objectives.
The DMA carries significant penalties for companies failing to meet its stipulations, including fines of up to 10 per cent of their global annual turnover, highlighting the gravity of regulatory non-compliance within the digital market landscape. As the regulatory landscape continues to evolve, the tech industry faces increasing pressure to adapt to stringent regulations aimed at fostering fair competition and protecting consumer rights within the digital sphere.
