Zuckerberg Calls Apple's DMA Compliance Changes 'Onerous' and 'Difficult to Seriously Entertain' - MacRumors
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Zuckerberg Calls Apple's DMA Compliance Changes 'Onerous' and 'Difficult to Seriously Entertain'

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Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has criticized Apple's compliance with the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulation, which forces Apple to let third-party developers create alternative App Stores and use their own payment systems, amongst other things.

App Store vs EU Feature 2
Speaking to investors on Thursday during Meta's Q4 earnings call, Zuckerberg called Apple's new rules "so onerous" that he would not be surprised if any developer adopted them.

"I don't think that the Apple thing is going to have any difference for us. Because I think that the way they have implemented it, I would be very surprised if any developer chose to go into the alternative app stores that they have. They've made it so onerous, and I think so at odds with the intent of what the EU regulation was, that I think it's just going to be very difficult for anyone, including ourselves, to really seriously entertain what they're doing there."

The introduction of the EU's DMA regulations were designed to increase competition in the bloc's app economy by allowing other companies to host their own app stores and collect payments, without them being subjected to Apple's commission rates. However, Apple has introduced a new fee structure as part of the change, including a €0.50 "Core Technology Fee" or CTF for every app install over one million installs, a model that could be prohibitively expensive for free apps like Meta's if they are distributed outside of the App Store.

Meta's comments broadly align with several other big companies critical of Apple's proposed DMA changes, including Spotify, Epic Games, Mozilla, and Microsoft.

Spotify CEO Daniel EK called Apple's plan "a complete and total farce" under "the false pretense of compliance and concessions." Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, another outspoken Apple critic, said that the ‌‌App Store‌‌ changes are a "devious new instance of malicious compliance" aimed at thwarting EU regulations. Microsoft said they are a "step in the wrong direction," while Mozilla said it was "extremely disappointed" and called the plans "another example of Apple creating barriers to prevent true browser competition on iOS."

EU regulators say they intend to study Apple's proposed plans after March 7, when the DMA goes into effect.

Tags: App Store, European Union, Meta

Top Rated Comments

NightFox Avatar
NightFox
29 months ago
Does Apple really think the EU is just going to roll over and go "yeah, fair enough, you got us there"?
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
wanha Avatar
wanha
29 months ago
The EU can pat themselves on the back for creating regulation so vague on specifics that Apple was able to do, well, this.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
springsup Avatar
springsup
29 months ago

Customers should have full choice to stick to Apple's App Store or install that elusive App which falls outside of Apple's walled garden rules and be self responsible for whatever havoc it causes on their phone. By your precious logic, Microsoft and Android should also stop sideloading any apps on Windows and Android
You probably think that this is a strong argument, but IMO it’s really very much the opposite.

Windows is rife with malware. Whether it’s preinstalled crap from OEMs (remember Bonzi Buddy?), ransomware taking down entire organisations, apps mining bitcoin in the background, or major corporations like Sony insisting that you install rootkits to listen to music.

It was very difficult for non-technical people to navigate that minefield and use their computer with confidence. We used to just accept that computers and internet access come with huge risks, and blame people as being too stupid when they fell victim to this crap.

Mobile OSes were a breath of fresh air. For many people, they’re the first computers they have really been able to use, and they achieve that by treating security as a platform issue and limiting the harm users can do to themselves.

Android is better than Windows PCs, but again it’s only because the vast majority of people stick to the default options like the Google Play store, and Google give certain popular apps (like Spotify) sweetheart deals to not actually use any of the platform’s “openness” and join competing stores.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Abazigal Avatar
Abazigal
29 months ago

The EU can pat themselves on the back for creating regulation so vague on specifics that Apple was able to do, well, this.
That has always been the problem with the DMA. It states that Apple can’t do X, and everyone here assumes Apple must do Y, but they instead end up doing Z, and then everyone acts all surprised.

It would be so funny if the EU does end up accepting Apple’s proposal after all. I have the intro speech by Thanos in infinity war all queued up and ready to go for this. :cool:
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iamgalt Avatar
iamgalt
29 months ago
If Zuck doesn't like it, then you know you are doing something right. ;)
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
M
mrochester
29 months ago

Generally with the EU, they tend to make laws like this with a soft touch to begin with in the hopes that the companies it applies to would do the right thing on their own. That means not just following the law but also follow the spirit it was written in & what it was trying to achieve.

Apple has decided to ignore that and gone intentionally out of its way to find loopholes to bypass what they knew was the goal.

I'd imagine what will happen now is other companies/developers will continue to complain. The EU will then warn Apple and if they don't then backdown, the EU will legislate much tougher to the point where Apple will likely face significant fines to their annual turnover unless they comply.
At what point would you consider the EU’s regulations to have overstepped the mark? Is it ok for the government to force companies to give away their products and services for free? What other businesses might be forced to do that in the future?
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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