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The EU Wants All Phones to Work With Interoperable Chargers, Here’s What That Means for Apple's Lightning Port

Friday February 21, 2020 9:29 am PST by
Despite pushback from Apple, the European Parliament in January voted overwhelmingly for new rules to establish a common charging standard for mobile device makers across the European Union. This article explores what form the EU laws might ultimately take and how they could affect Apple device users in Europe and elsewhere. What Exactly is the EU Calling For? To reduce cost, electronic...

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New EU Law Could Force Apple to Allow Other App Stores, Sideloading, and iMessage Interoperability

Tuesday November 1, 2022 8:05 am PDT by
New EU rules came into force today that could compel Apple to let users access third-party app stores and permit app sideloading on iPhones and iPads, among other sweeping changes designed to make the digital sector fairer and more competitive. Under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), the rules will apply to tech giants that meet its "gatekeeper" criteria and force them to open up their various...
European Commisssion

EU Draft Proposals Require Phone Makers to Provide Spare Parts for 5 Years and Ensure Longer Battery Life

Thursday September 1, 2022 3:44 am PDT by
Smartphone manufacturers supplying the EU will be required to provide spare parts for at least five years from the date of a device's introduction and ensure longer battery life, according to new draft proposals published by the European Commission. The Financial Times reports that the proposals would require at least 15 different component parts to be made available and that batteries...
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Qualcomm Successfully Appeals $1.05 Billion EU Fine for Paying Apple to Use Its Mobile Chips

Wednesday June 15, 2022 4:26 am PDT by
Qualcomm has successfully appealed a 997 million euro ($1.05 billion) fine from EU antitrust regulators for paying Apple to use its LTE chips in iOS devices (via Reuters). The fine was imposed by regulators in 2018 after a European Commission investigation concluded that payments to Apple from 2011 to 2016 were made with the sole aim of blocking Qualcomm's LTE chipset market rivals, such as...
European Commisssion

European Commission to Release Draft Law Enforcing Mandatory Detection of Child Sexual Abuse Material on Digital Platforms

Wednesday May 11, 2022 2:21 am PDT by
The European Commission is set to release a draft law this week that could require tech companies like Apple and Google to identify, remove and report to law enforcement illegal images of child abuse on their platforms, claims a new report out today. According to a leak of the proposal obtained by Politico, the EC believes voluntary measures taken by some digital companies have thus far...
Apple Pay Feature

EU Officially Objects to Apple Limiting Third-Party Access to Apple Pay NFC Capabilities

Monday May 2, 2022 4:13 am PDT by
In line with a report late last week, the European Commission today officially announced that it has issued a Statement of Objections to Apple over its restrictions that prevent third-party services from accessing the NFC capabilities of the iPhone, thereby restricting competition in mobile wallets on iOS. The statement is a preliminary view that will need to be confirmed with further...
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Apple Faces Further Charges in EU Antitrust Case Triggered by Spotify

Monday April 11, 2022 4:38 am PDT by
Apple will face additional antitrust charges in the European Union related to a music streaming probe triggered by a complaint from Spotify, Reuters reports. The charges are part of an ongoing investigation by the European Commission into accusations of anti-competitive conduct in the music streaming market from Spotify and suggest that the EU is strengthening its case against Apple amid...
European Commisssion

EU Member States Agree to Extend Free Mobile Roaming Policy Until 2032

Friday December 10, 2021 2:19 am PST by
So-called mobile phone "roaming" will remain free within the European Union for another decade, the European Commission has confirmed. The governing body said that a political agreement had been reached between the member states and the European Parliament to extend the practice until 2032. In a press release announcing the agreement to extend the free roaming policy, the European...
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EU Plans to Hit Apple With Antitrust Charges Over Apple Pay

Wednesday October 6, 2021 7:26 am PDT by
The European Commission is planning to charge Apple with anticompetitive behavior with regards to Apple Pay, since it is the only payment service that can use the iPhone's Near-Field Communication (NFC) chip, Reuters reports. EU antitrust investigator Margrethe Vestager has been investigating ‌Apple Pay‌ since June last year, but the European Commission has since centered its focus on the...
USB C Over Lightning Feature

EU Proposes to Force Apple to Switch iPhone, iPad, and AirPods From Lightning to USB-C

Thursday September 23, 2021 4:57 am PDT by
The European Commission has presented legislation that would compel Apple to use a USB-C port on all iPhones, iPads, and AirPods in Europe (via Reuters). The proposal, known as a directive, would force all consumer electronics manufacturers who sell devices in Europe to ensure that all smartphones, tablets, cameras, headphones, portable speakers, handheld videogame consoles feature a USB-C...
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Germany Urges EU to Require 7 Years of Updates and Repairs for iOS Devices

Monday September 6, 2021 4:13 am PDT by
Smartphone makers like Apple and Google should be required to provide security updates and spare parts for their mobile devices for at least seven years, according to new environmental responsibility proposals from the German government to the European Union (via Heise Online). The European Commission recently proposed that mobile device manufacturers should provide software updates and...
Apple Prefer Lightning Over USB C Feature

EU Law That Could Force the iPhone to Switch to USB-C to Be Presented Next Month

Friday August 13, 2021 5:04 am PDT by
Apple may be forced to remove the Lightning port from the iPhone in favor of USB-C, according to legislation expected be presented by the European Commission next month, Reuters reports. The legislation would establish a common charging port for all mobile phones and other relevant devices in all European Union countries. The move is expected to primarily affect Apple, since many popular...
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Apple in Breach of EU Competition Law, European Commission Finds

Friday April 30, 2021 3:39 am PDT by
Apple has been found to be in breach of EU competition law with Apple Music, according to the preliminary findings of the European Commission. The charges relate to a two-year-old antitrust dispute initiated by Spotify. The European Commission was expected to bring charges against Apple over concerns that its App Store rules break EU competition law this week, and ahead of a formal verdict,...
European Commisssion

EU Likely to Charge Apple With Anti-Competitive Behavior This Week

Tuesday April 27, 2021 2:06 am PDT by
The European Commission will this week bring charges against Apple over concerns that its App Store rules break EU competition law, reports the Financial Times. The charges relate to a two-year-old antitrust dispute with Spotify. Margrethe Vestager, the EU's competition chief, will late this week publicly issue charges against Apple over concerns that the rules it sets for developers on its...
European Commisssion

EU Prepares to Charge Apple in Antitrust Dispute With Spotify

Thursday March 4, 2021 7:57 am PST by
EU regulators are in the process of finalizing a charge sheet against Apple, initiated by an antitrust complaint from Spotify (via Reuters). In 2019, Spotify filed a complaint with the European Commission, alleging that Apple enforces App Store rules that "purposely limit choice and stifle innovation at the expense of the user experience," accusing the company of "acting as both a player...
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Epic Games Takes Legal Battle With Apple to Europe With Antitrust Complaint

Wednesday February 17, 2021 1:08 am PST by
Epic Games has filed an antitrust complaint against Apple in the European Union, broadening its legal battle against the tech giant by attempting to appeal to the EU's differing interpretation of antitrust issues compared to those in the United States (via The Wall Street Journal). Last September, ‌Epic Games‌‌‌ added a Fortnite update that allowed customers to purchase in-game currency direc...
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TikTok Faces Consumer Law and Child Safety Complaints Across EU

Tuesday February 16, 2021 2:56 am PST by
TikTok on Tuesday was targeted by EU consumer protection groups for allegedly violating the bloc's consumer laws and for failing to protect children from hidden advertising and inappropriate content (via Reuters). The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) lodged a complaint against the short video-sharing app with the European Commission, citing several issues in its complaint, one of which...
European Commisssion

EU Moves Forward With Appeal Against Apple's 'Contradictory' Tax Case Victory

Monday February 1, 2021 4:08 am PST by
The European Union has set out its grounds of appeal against Apple's victory in its $13 billion euro ($15.8 billion) tax dispute, saying that judges used "contradictory reasoning" when they ruled that Apple's business in Ireland was not liable for significant payments (via Bloomberg). In a summary of its appeal published earlier today, the EU set out its determination to challenge the court...
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EU Introduces Strict Rules on Big Tech Companies to Promote Competition and Protect Users

Tuesday December 15, 2020 8:10 am PST by
Big tech companies, including Apple, Amazon, Google, and Facebook, could soon face new wide-reaching regulations in the European Union, under new legislation presented today by the European Commission (via CNBC). Amid concern for smaller European companies looking to compete in the European market, the European Commission today presented two new pieces of legislation that aim to strictly...
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EU to Appeal Against Apple's $15 Billion Tax Bill Ruling

Friday September 25, 2020 3:12 am PDT by
The European Commission on Friday said it would appeal a court ruling that overturned its demand that Apple pay 13 billion euros ($14.5 billion) in tax to the Irish government (via CNBC). "The Commission has decided to appeal before the European Court of Justice the General Court's judgment of July 2020 on the Apple State aid case in Ireland," Margrethe Vestager, the head of competition policy...
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Encrypted Messaging App Telegram Files Antitrust Complaint Against Apple With EU

Thursday July 30, 2020 3:52 am PDT by
Apple is facing another antitrust complaint in Europe, this time from the developers of encrypted messaging app Telegram. In a complaint to the EU Commission, the app's creators argue that Apple must give iOS users the opportunity to download software outside of the App Store. The Financial Times reports: In a complaint to EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager, Telegram, which has more...