The EU is no stranger to bringing strict rules regarding the technology that its people use. One main focus is making sure that big brands can’t gatekeep certain functions and stifle innovation in the tech world. The EU is now at odds with Apple, as the latter wants to appeal a rule that would make the company reveal sensitive data.
Apple goes through great lengths to keep its users’ data completely private. This involves encrypting data on people’s phones so that even the company can’t see it. Also, Apple refuses to give the government a backdoor into users’ phones. This has put the company against several governments over the years.
Apple wants to appeal an EU law that will require it to share sensitive data
We understand that the EU’s heart is in the right place. However, it may be biting off more than it can chew. Over in Europe, they have the Digital Markets Act. Among other things, it keeps companies from providing a level of exclusivity that would reduce competition.
One part of the law would require that Apple give third-party companies access to sensitive information. In a statement, Apple says that, “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.”
Companies can use information like the contents of notifications and stored Wi-Fi networks in good faith. Maybe a third-party developer makes a Wi-Fi connection manager. However, letting anyone access that sort of data would put the user at risk. Once that information leaves the iPhone, there’s no telling where it could wind up. In the end, it could do more harm than good.
Another argument to this is the fact that the sort of information is encrypted and stored on the phone. Apple does not have a way of accessing which Wi-Fi networks the user connected to or the contents of their notifications. So, in order to give third-party companies access to this information, it will have to be decrypted, which makes it less secure.
Apple made another point
According to Apple, the rules are “deeply flawed.” That is up for debate, but the company brought forth a point that is not. The Digital Markets Act requires companies like Apple to implement strict security protocols to protect users’ data. However, companies that will get hold of sensitive data are not held to the same standards.
This means that a company could very well gain access to information that could affect a person’s life, and they don’t have any rules to keep them from misusing it. Obviously, that sounds like a terrible idea. Apple prides itself on maintaining users’ privacy, and following the EU’s data protection rules could possibly put users at risk.
The competition is trying to pressure Apple
Other companies feel that Apple is blocking competition by making this information inaccessible. Companies like Garmin, Spotify, and Meta argue that these safeguards keep them from offering services that allow them to properly compete with Apple’s first-party services.
So, we can tell that these companies are rooting for the Digital Markets Act. However, this doesn’t really give Apple much of an incentive to make this information available. If it has to make this information available to third-party companies, it will simultaneously be putting its users’ data at risk and helping its competition.
