Between Apple el ‘European Union A legal battle is underway that could radically change the experience of use of the iPhones in the Old Continent. At the center of the debate is the now well known Dma (Digital Markets Act), a European legislation that requires technological giants – such as Apple – to make some of their technologies interoperablethat is, also accessible by devices or software developed by third parties. One of the most emblematic tools involved is just Airdropthe function that allows you to transfer files between Apple devices quickly and safely. If Apple lost the appeal filed against the EU, it may decide to Eliminate AIRDRrop from the iPhones intended for the European marketjust to avoid having to “open” the function to the competition. It would not be the first time: Apple has already excluded features such as “duplica iPhone” in Europe for similar reasons. There is much more than a single function at stake: the dispute touches complex issues such as the balance between innovation, privacy and competition. And although the withdrawal of AirPods or Apple Watch seems unlikely, at least in the short term, the removal of Airdrop is not a hypothesis span in the air. In this deepening we explain in detail Because Airdrop could disappear from the European iPhones And what are the implications for users of the EU area.
Airdrop and the question of
Everything revolves around the interpretation and application of the Digital Markets Acta European regulation that aims to reduce the monopolistic power of the so -called gatekeeperthat is, the large digital platforms that act as intermediaries between users and a multitude of services. According to the European CommissionApple would abuse its dominant position by limiting the use of certain features – such as airdrop or automatic coupling of the AirPods – to the only devices produced by the same company. This approach, always according to the EU, would damage competition by preventing other producers from offering similar experiences.
Apple, for its part, contest with strength this vision. In an official press release he explained that his technologies are designed to work in a deeply integrated way, so as to guarantee a fluid, coherent and safe user experience. Apple, in fact, said:
In Apple, we design our technology so that it works in a harmonious and integrated way, so as to offer that unique experience that our users love and expect from our products. The interoperability requirements from the EU threaten this basis, creating an unreasonable, expensive and suffocating process. These requirements would also give sensitive information to companies hungry for data, exposing our European users to enormous risks in terms of privacy and security. Some companies have already requested the most reserved data of our users – from the content of their notifications to the complete chronology of the wifi networks saved on the devices – thus obtaining access to personal information that even Apple can view. In the end, these deeply wrong rules, which affect only Apple and no other company, will strongly limit our ability to offer innovative products and features in Europe, leading to a lower user experience for our European customers. We are appealing against these decisions on their behalf, in order to preserve the high quality experience that our customers in Europe expect.
According to the company, therefore, the obligation to make interoperable tools such as AIRDRrop would mean compromise not only efficiencybut also the confidentiality of user information. Some of the requests received from potential external partners-says Apple-would have included access to highly sensitive data, such as the chronology of saved Wi-Fi networks or the content of the notifications, information that Apple itself can not even access. For Apple, it would therefore be an unacceptable risk for privacy.
This opposition brought Apple to make formal appeal against the provisions of the DMA. But what if the Court should give reason to the European Union? In this case, the company could adopt a rather drastic strategy: to avoid offering the functionality subject to interoperability obligations in Europe. It is not just a theoretical threat: it has already happened with “Duplica iPhone”, a function introduced last year by the Cupertino giant that allows you to control your iPhone from the Mac screen. Currently it is not available in Europe, probably precisely to avoid having to extend it to non -Apple devices, such as Android or Windows devices.
According to some experts from the Apple world, such as the well -known journalist John Gruberthe company could even decide to Remove AirDrop from the European iPhones if it were obliged to open it to external devices. Gruber underlines that “If Airdrop was brand new, not even users in the EU would get him, suspicion. And if this mandate holds up, EU users may lose airdrop. The same goes for entire devices such as AirPods and Apple Watch».
Then there is a broader question that Apple raises: according to the company, the EU is targeting exclusively its products, applying particularly severe rules only towards him. For example, the obligation already in force to use the USB-C port for charging-which however is based on an industrial standard widely shared-is mentioned with respect to the request to open proprietary technologies such as AIRDRPS, which are not designed to be shared between platforms. The difference, according to Apple, is substantial: in the first case it is a question of adopting a common standard; in the second, of transform private technology into a public resource.
The entire Apple business model is under discussion
What emerges, therefore, is that the issue is not confined to a specific function – AIRDRPS – but it is clear that The entire Apple business model is under discussion. Apple has built its “luck” by focusing, since its dawn, on a closed system, where hardware and software are jointly designed to guarantee a very high level of integration and protection. The EU, on the other hand, pushes for a more open and competitive model, where external producers can also access some of the same possibilities offered to native devices. If Apple or the EU will win this arm wrestling, it will only be time to reveal it.
