Apple has formally objected to draft European Commission measures intended to make it easier for rival AI services to access Google’s suite of services, saying the proposals would threaten user privacy, security, safety and device integrity. The comments come in response to the Commission’s recent request for feedback on draft measures to help Google comply with the Digital Markets Act - the EU law designed to limit the market power of large technology platforms.
In its submission, Apple said the draft measures - which would permit competing AI services to interact with Android apps to perform tasks such as sending emails, ordering food or sharing photos - raise "urgent and serious concerns." The company warned that, if adopted, the measures "would create profound risks for user privacy, security, and safety as well as device integrity and performance."
Apple highlighted the rapidly changing nature of AI systems as a factor that magnifies those risks, saying the capabilities, behaviors and threat vectors of such systems remain unpredictable. "Those risks are especially acute in the context of rapidly evolving AI systems whose capabilities, behaviours, and threat vectors remain unpredictable as we are now seeing time and again," the submission said.
The response also flagged broader implications beyond Android and Google. Apple noted it has a strong interest in the consultation given that the draft measures could affect how other operating systems - including its own for iPhones, iPads and Mac computers - are required to handle third-party AI access.
Apple questioned the European Commission’s technical basis for the proposals and the speed of the work. The company said the regulator is effectively redesigning an operating system and is substituting judgments made by engineers at Google with decisions reached by the regulator after fewer than three months of work. Apple described that approach as "all the more dangerous" in light of an apparent focus on "open and unfettered access" as the guiding objective of the draft measures.
The Commission’s draft measures would permit third-party AI services to send commands to apps on Android devices to complete tasks on behalf of users. Google has previously expressed concerns that those proposals could undermine privacy and security safeguards for European users; Apple’s submission echoes many of those points and underscores how the issue touches multiple platforms.
Summary
Apple told EU antitrust regulators that draft Digital Markets Act measures aimed at forcing Google to open its services to competing AI systems risk compromising privacy, safety and device performance. The company also questioned the Commission’s technical approach and noted potential implications for other operating systems including its own.
Key points
- Apple argues the draft measures could jeopardize user privacy, device security and overall system performance - impacts relevant to consumer technology and cybersecurity sectors.
- The company highlighted how unpredictable AI behaviour increases the stakes of allowing third-party AI access to platform services - relevant for AI infrastructure and platform governance.
- Apple challenged the European Commission’s technical preparedness and decision-making process, stressing that the proposals could set precedents affecting multiple operating systems and app ecosystems.
Risks and uncertainties
- Privacy and security risks: Apple says the measures would create "profound risks for user privacy, security, and safety" - a risk for consumer tech and cybersecurity providers.
- Device integrity and performance risks: The submission warns of potential degradation of device integrity and performance if third-party AI systems are permitted broad access - relevant to mobile device manufacturers and OS vendors.
- Regulatory technical uncertainty: Apple questioned the Commission’s technical expertise and the short timeframe for developing these proposals, leaving unresolved how safeguards would be implemented across platforms - an uncertainty for platform operators and developers.
Apple’s submission contributes to the ongoing EU consultation on how to implement the Digital Markets Act in practice, underscoring tensions between regulatory goals to foster competition and industry concerns about technical and security implications. The company’s comments align with criticisms previously voiced by Google and emphasize the cross-platform consequences of the draft approach.