The European Commission has charged Google with two violations of EU regulations and directed Apple to facilitate competitor connectivity with its iPhones and iPads. The actions are part of an ongoing effort by Europe’s antitrust regulators to address the influence of major technology firms. The latest development comes in the wake of warnings from former US President Donald Trump regarding potential tariffs on nations that penalise American companies, reported Reuters.
Since March last year, both Google and Apple have been under scrutiny by the European Commission over potential non-compliance with the Digital Markets Act (DMA). This legislation is designed to regulate the dominance of large tech companies through a set of prescribed practices.
The Commission has notified Alphabet, Google’s parent company, of its initial assessment that certain elements of Google Search may give preferential treatment to Alphabet’s services over those of competitors. This approach potentially violates the DMA’s requirements for transparent, fair, and non-discriminatory treatment of third-party services.
Furthermore, the Commission has expressed concerns that Google’s app marketplace, Google Play, restricts app developers from directing consumers to alternative channels for potentially better deals. This, the Commission argues, may also contravene the DMA.
“The two preliminary findings we adopt today aim to ensure that Alphabet abides by EU rules when it comes to two services widely used by businesses and consumers across the EU, Google Search and Android phones,” said EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera.
“The Commission’s findings require us to make even more changes to how we show certain types of Search results, which would make it harder for people to find what they are looking for and reduce traffic to European businesses,” said Google’s senior director for competition Oliver Bethell in a blog post.
Apple directed to enhance competitor connectivity under EU mandate
The EC has also issued two decisions under the DMA outlining specific actions Apple must take to meet its interoperability obligations. Interoperability is crucial for integrating third-party products with Apple’s ecosystem, thereby expanding opportunities for innovation on Apple’s platforms. This initiative is expected to enhance consumer choice in Europe by offering a broader range of products compatible with Apple devices.
The Commission is collaborating with Apple to ensure compliance by specifying the steps necessary to enable interoperability with iOS for third-party connected devices. Additionally, it is working to streamline Apple’s process for managing future interoperability requests involving iPhone and iPad devices.
“Today’s decisions wrap us in red tape, slowing down Apple’s ability to innovate for users in Europe and forcing us to give away our new features for free to companies who don’t have to play by the same rules,” said Apple. “It’s bad for our products and for our European users. We will continue to work with the European Commission to help them understand our concerns on behalf of our users.”
Read more: EU court rules Google’s Android Auto restrictions may constitute market abuse
