Global site navigation

EU tells Apple chief to 'open up' to rivals
Business and Economy

EU tells Apple chief to 'open up' to rivals

by  AFP 2 min read
The new iPhone unveiled on September 12 comes with a universal charger after Apple bowed to the EU
The new iPhone unveiled on September 12 comes with a universal charger after Apple bowed to the EU. Photo: Nic Coury / AFP/File
Source: AFP

PAY ATTENTION: Be the first to follow YEN.com.gh on Threads! Click here!

The EU's digital chief Thierry Breton told Apple CEO Tim Cook on Tuesday that the iPhone maker must open up its products to competitors as part of Brussels' tough curbs on tech behemoths.

Earlier this month, the European Union unveiled a list of the digital giants, including Apple, which will face new rules under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) on how they do business.

Other tech firms caught up included Facebook owner Meta and TikTok parent ByteDance.

Apple has previously slammed the DMA, claiming it poses risks to users' privacy.

Cook was in Brussels to meet with Breton and the acting competition commissioner, Didier Reynders.

"The next job for Apple and other big tech, under the DMA, is to open up its gates to competitors," Breton said, in a statement.

PAY ATTENTION: Follow us on Instagram - get the most important news directly in your favourite app!

Read also

ChatGPT AI getting chatty with voice prompts

"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," he added.

Breton said the two men had a "constructive discussion on Apple's compliance plan" for the DMA.

Apple would not comment on Cook's visit.

The EU however won a previous battle with Apple, forcing the company to unveil its new iPhone lineup with a universal charger on September 12.

Brussels' rules insist all phones and other small devices must be compatible with the USB-C charging cables from the end of next year.

Breton showed Cook his "museum" with several charging cables in a video shared on social media after hailing "cable clutter" as "a thing of the past" in his statement.

The latest battle began when the EU on September 6 named Apple's operating iOS system, its App Store and its Safari browser as services that must comply with the DMA.

Read also

Amazon steps up AI race with $4 bn Anthropic investment

Brussels is also probing whether to include iMessage in that list.

Shortly after the announcement, Apple said it was "very concerned about the privacy and data security risks the DMA poses for our users" and vowed to focus on "how we mitigate these impacts".

New feature: Сheck out news that is picked for YOU ➡️ click on “Recommended for you” and enjoy!

Source: AFP

Authors:
AFP avatar

AFP AFP text, photo, graphic, audio or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. AFP news material may not be stored in whole or in part in a computer or otherwise except for personal and non-commercial use. AFP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions in any AFP news material or in transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages whatsoever. As a newswire service, AFP does not obtain releases from subjects, individuals, groups or entities contained in its photographs, videos, graphics or quoted in its texts. Further, no clearance is obtained from the owners of any trademarks or copyrighted materials whose marks and materials are included in AFP material. Therefore you will be solely responsible for obtaining any and all necessary releases from whatever individuals and/or entities necessary for any uses of AFP material.

Hot: