AirDrop might disappear from your iPhone in the EU
Apple is appealing a €500 million fine levied by the European Commission (EC) in April for breaches of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), a decision that could affect how Apple operates in the EU, according to The Wall Street Journal.
John Gruber of Daring Fireball shared Apple’s official statement regarding the appeal. The company stated that the EU’s interoperability requirements threaten the seamless integration of Apple’s technology. According to Apple, these requirements also pose privacy and security risks to EU users by potentially handing sensitive data to other companies.
Apple’s statement included a warning about the potential consequences for European customers.
“At Apple, we design our technology to work seamlessly together, so it can deliver the unique experience our users love and expect from our products. The EU’s interoperability requirements threaten that foundation, while creating a process that is unreasonable, costly, and stifles innovation,” a spokesperson for the company said on Monday.
“Companies have already requested our users’ most sensitive data–from the content of their notifications, to a full history of every stored WiFi network on their device–giving them the ability to access personal information that even Apple doesn’t see,” they said. “We are appealing these decisions on their behalf, and in order to preserve the high-quality experience our European customers expect,” they said.
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The interoperability requirements mandate that Apple grant third-party competitors full access to iOS notifications, background execution privileges, and system feature access. Apple would also have to allow alternative default options to AirDrop.
Gruber suggests that Apple might choose to drop AirDrop support for users in the EU. He also mentioned the possibility of Apple discontinuing the sale of its Apple Watch and AirPods in EU markets. However, he notes that the latter scenario is less probable given the profitability of wearables for Apple.