Apple keeps challenging its interoperability obligations under the DMA

A new FSFE report exposes how 56 interoperability requests under the Digital Markets Act have produced no concrete solutions by Apple, and how their declines contradict their own official documentation, leaving third-party developers locked out of iOS and iPadOS, despite European Commission’s latest specification decision.

The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE)’s report “The challenges of regulating interoperability. Analysing Apple’s request-based approach under the Digital Markets Act” sheds lights on how Apple has been implementing the interoperability obligations under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Under the European Commission (EC)'s latest rules, third-party developers can formally request access to Apple's platform. This report looks at how Apple has handled those requests in practice. The evidence of the report is based on public data from Apple’s public tracker, implemented as a requirement of the regulatory framework.

Despite the EC's clear requirements under the Digital Markets Act, the FSFE's report finds that, as of 22 March 2026, not one of 56 formal interoperability requests has resulted in a solution. Developers requesting access to Just-in-Time compilation, NFC protocols, and Bluetooth Low Energy Audio, for example, have seen their requests denied often because the features in question “fall outside of the scope of the law”. Despite the company's own technical documentation, which points in the opposite direction. The report elaborates on the shortcomings of Apple's request-based approach in relation to effective interoperability: Apple’s model requires developers to navigate account creation, fees, detailed requests, internal review, and potentially long implementation timelines, fearing sudden and unreasoned closure of their developer accounts during the whole process.

The report argues that while the regulatory framework issued by the EC on interoperability represents a progress, requiring transparency and due process obligations from Apple, governance issues, as pointed out, will arise in the future. Therefore, the report calls for open standards, transparent procedures, and stronger regulatory enforcement so that Free Software developers can participate on fairer terms within the mobile ecosystem.

You can read the full report here. What follows is a summary of the main findings.

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Recap on DMA interoperability

Apple is one of the largest tech companies in the world. Due to its market power, it is designated in Europe as a gatekeeper under the DMA, a law designed to regulate digital competition and open closed platforms. Under this legislation, Apple must provide free-of-charge interoperability for the features and functionalities controlled by its mobile operating systems, iOS and iPadOS. This should allow users to install and remove apps freely, use alternative app stores, and enable developers to connect their apps to key software and hardware features without being blocked.

Making Article 6(7) of the DMA Free-Software-developer friendly is crucial for Device Neutrality: it obliges gatekeepers to provide effective and free of charge interoperability with, and access to, the software and hardware features of designated operating systems such as iOS and iPadOS. In practical terms, this means that developers must be able to access the same operating-system-controlled features that the gatekeeper’s own services use, instead of being kept on the outside looking in.

The DMA represents an opportunity for Free Software developers to compete on equal terms with gatekeeper services. Free Software developers deserve the right to build genuine alternatives to closed ecosystems like iOS and iPadOS, while users gain access to alternative app stores, payment systems, and unfettered software installation in mobile devices as well.

Apple DMA interoperability compliance in practice

When the DMA took effect, it expected gatekeepers like Apple to deliver interoperability by default: publishing APIs, clear documentation, and technical access matching that are equivalent to those used for their own services. Instead, Apple created a request-based system where each developer must seek permission for specific features, waiting for Apple to decide if they are ”in scope”. This led the European Commission to launch a specification case (DMA.100204), requiring a fairer process with timelines and a public tracker (for access to which an Apple account is required).

How a developer must request interoperability to Apple

Rather than opening its platform by publishing APIs and documentation from the outset, Apple built a request-based system in which every developer must apply for access to each feature they need.

The process starts with an Apple developer account, which costs at least 99 USD (in Spring 2026), then developers need to fill a detailed request describing the feature, the use case, the technical need, and possible alternatives to the feature or functionality they are asking access for. Apple then performs an initial eligibility check within 20 working days, after which it may proceed, reject the request, or say that an existing solution already covers it.

If Apple rejects the request, developers can seek internal review and, in some cases, conciliation. Even when a request is accepted, Apple can still take up to 24 months to implement the result, depending on its own assessment of technical complexity. That means the process can stretch across months or years before developers see any practical benefit, even though the underlying right to interoperability is already supposed to exist.

The EC’s intervention gave the process a regulatory framework. As of March 22, 2026, Apple has received 56 interoperability requests under Article 6(7) of the DMA since May 2025, of which 43 have been closed, but 27 of those closures are fully confidential. Of the 16 publicly disclosed closures, none resulted in Apple developing a new interoperability solution: 10 were denied on “technical grounds”, 2 were dismissed by Apple citing “existing solutions”, and 3 were rejected as “out of scope or invalid”.

What Apple tracker reveals: four examples of rejected requests

Several individual cases illustrate how the process works in practice. A Free Software terminal-like app requested access to Just-In-Time (JIT) compilation. JIT is already used by Apple’s Safari browser to run downloaded code securely in a sandbox. But Apple rejected the request from the developer and said JIT for non-browser apps was not a feature controlled by iOS.

Another developer sought access to FIDO tokens in wallet passes and the VAS NFC protocol used by Apple Wallet. Apple again denied that these were OS-controlled features, despite its own documentation requiring a special entitlement for NFC access.

A third case involved Bluetooth LE Audio for specialised research hardware. Apple said the feature was not available to or used by Apple’s own hardware or services, even though Bluetooth Low Energy is part of iOS and comparable functionality exists on competing platforms. Two further requests sought alternatives to Apple’s Push Notification Service, including decentralised or user-controlled notification servers. But both were rejected on the grounds that APNS is already open and persistent connections are simply an OS function.

These examples show the same pattern: Apple defines the scope narrowly enough to preserve its own product design choices, then treats those same choices as evidence that interoperability is unnecessary.

Why does this matter for Free Software developers?

The burden of requesting and eventually getting access to interoperability rights falls almost entirely on developers. Under Apple’s model, they must prove case by case that a feature is “used by Apple” before they can gain access, while Apple remains free to reject the request based on its own interpretation of the scope. The EC’s framework imposes on Apple transparency obligations. For Free Software projects, this means technical work becomes entangled with legal argument, procedural deadlines, and repeated submissions.

The mandatory developer fee adds to the problem. Article 6(7) requires interoperability to be free of charge, yet Apple still requires a paid developer account to submit a request, which creates a financial hurdle at the very point where the law is supposed to lower barriers. For volunteers, small teams, and independent projects, that is not a minor inconvenience; it is a structural filter on who can participate from the beginning.

What effective interoperability needs

In the short term, effective and free interoperability access is essential to a developer-friendly enforcement of the DMA. Equal and fair access for all developers cannot depend solely on discretionary control of gatekeepers.

Looking further ahead, shared governance is essential. Regulators alone cannot ensure that interoperability serves the public interest; developers, users, and civil society must have a genuine voice in how it is designed, monitored, and enforced. The Free Software tradition, built on open standards and community oversight, demonstrates that interoperability can be democratically governed as a digital common, rather than shaped by bilateral deals between gatekeepers and their largest competitors. That is the standard the DMA should be held to.

Call to action

The FSFE is still collecting first-hand accounts from developers who have engaged with Apple’s interoperability process under Article 6(7), or who were discouraged before they even began. Those experiences help document how the process works in practice and provide concrete evidence for regulators and enforcement actions.

If you are a developer who has requested access to software or hardware features under Article 6(7) of the DMA, or if you have considered doing so but were discouraged by the process, the FSFE wants to hear from you. Your experience can help document how interoperability works in practice and support better enforcement.

Share your experience:

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Monitoring gatekeepers, analysing regulatory processes, and defending software freedom takes independent resources. Your support helps the FSFE continue this work, bring evidence to regulators, and push for interoperability by design.

Please consider making a donation to support the FSFE’s work for Free Software, Device Neutrality, and user choice.

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SFP#50: Policy and EU: How NGI wants to save the Internet and what's next?

We reached our 50th episode of the Software Freedom Podcast! Thank you! Without the support of our listeners we would not have made it this far <3. In this episode Bonnie talks with Gabriel Ku Wei Bin, from the FSFE's legal team about how the European Next Generation Internet initiative works to move us in the right direction towards a human-centric web.

The Next Generation Internet (NGI) initiative aims to build a more resilient, trustworthy and open Internet. Through the NGI umbrella, the European Union provides financial support to Free Software projects covering all layers of the Internet, to improve user experience of the Internet. The FSFE team provides support to NGI0 grantee projects on legal and licensing issues, as well as helping them to become REUSE compliant.

In 2024 a funding cut amounting to almost €26 million was announced, which marked the end of the NGI initiative by 2027. The loss of this funding affects the Free Software ecosystem and its ability to steadily build important foundational technologies from the ground up. The Free Software Foundation Europe stepped up, with the support of hundreds of people, to try to safeguard this funding, and managed together with our consortium partners to find a new funding umbrella to continue the work that was done under the NGI Initiative. But why is funding like this needed in the first place? And what will be happening next?

In this episode, Gabriel and Bonnie talk about the reasons behind NGI and how important it is more than ever to step up against the monopolisation of the Internet as we know it.

The FSFE's policy work is an important part of our aim to safeguard Software Freedom. You can support our work by donating today!

Show notes

• Support our work for Free Software
• Interoperability regulation in the EU: Opening iOS and Android for Free Software
• SFP#26: Policy and EU: the need of long-term funding and the NGI case
• EU consultation confirms demand: long-term funding for Free Software is needed
• Next Generation Internet Zero (FSFE's activity)
• Next Generation Internet Zero (official webpage)
• NLnet Foundation
• The FSFE is helping to build an “Internet of Humans”
• EC Public consultation: Digital economy and society
• Evgeny Morozov, "The Net Delusion: the Dark Side of Internet Freedom"
• The Matrix (movie) Wikipedia
• Fred Rogers Wikipedia
• Stay up-to-date and join our Newsletter

We are happy to receive your feedback on the Software Freedom Podcast and especially on the transcript of the episode. Please, email us to: podcast@fsfe.org. If you liked this episode and want to support our continuous work for software freedom, please help us with a donation.

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Full speed into conference season with a heartfelt “Thank you”

Conference season is in full swing! In the last week we have been navigating the challenge of our payment provider ending our contract, attending events, and preparing for what’s ahead. Check out our first interview on the 2026 ilovefs celebrations and our two latest podcast episodes. Thank you to everyone who supported us during this time of financial uncertainty!

Over the past weeks we have been very busy as our long-term payment provider, Nexi, terminated our contract without prior notice. As a result, more than 450 current FSFE supporters who rely in their regular donation to the FSFE on automatic renewals via credit card or direct debit have been affected. While we had already begun preparing a transition to a new payment provider, existing supporter accounts unfortunately cannot be migrated automatically.

Your response to our call for help has been truly incredible. We are deeply grateful for our strong and supportive community: both for sharing our message and for stepping in with financial support when it was most needed. Thank you for helping us navigate this unexpected financial challenge!

Interoperability, Policy and Local Groups

A few weeks ago, our team contributed to a consultation by the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on interoperability under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCCA). In our response, we urged the CMA to reject Apple’s voluntary interoperability commitments and instead impose binding, interoperability-by-design obligations that protect software freedom, consumer choice, and fair competition. You can read the full response here. 

We also have two new episodes of our Software Freedom Podcast for you: in episode 49, we speak with a member of our local group in Zurich, offering insights into their work, local engagement, and the importance of community-driven initiatives in advancing Software Freedom.

In episode 48, we took a closer look at the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), addressing open questions and ongoing discussions, such as attestation and what these regulatory changes could mean for Free Software.

Reviving I love FS celebration and at the booth around Europe

Not long ago, the Free Software community celebrated “I Love Free Software Day” : a day when the FSFE, our volunteers, and many other organisations and individuals come together to thank all contributors for their dedication to using, studying, sharing, and improving Free Software. We are starting to revisit that special occasion with an interview featuring a volunteer from Poznań, who organized a local event there, the most attended one in 2026!

Besides, over the past weeks, we have been actively participating in events across Europe. At the Chemnitzer Linux-Tage 2026 in Chemnitz, Germany (one of the country’s largest and longest-running conferences dedicated to Free Software), we had the opportunity to meet community members, exchange ideas, and engage with a diverse audience through workshops, talks, and discussions. Together with some of our German volunteers, we were present with a booth and contributed a talk sharing practical insights on Free Software licensing with developers.

Also in Germany, we joined the 26th Gautinger Internet Meeting, where we contributed to discussions on digital sovereignty. There we presented our youth activities, including Youth Hacking for Freedom and the well-known children’s book “Ada & Zangemann”, highlighting the importance of empowering young people to keep their curiosity and to understand and shape technology to achieve digital sovereignty.

And last but not least, we took part in the panel discussion “What does Digital Sovereignty mean for Civil Society?”, organised by the ISOC Switzerland Chapter in Zurich, Switzerland. The discussion highlighted the crucial role that civil society plays in shaping a sovereign and sustainable digital future.

Your support helps us move our work forward.

We may be behind the wheel, but you’re the ones keeping us moving forward. You can also support us, contribute to our work, and join our community. Are you using social media? If so, do not forget to follow us there! You can also follow the FSFE news in your RSS Reader.

Your editor, Ana

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How we celebrate "I Love Free Software Day" in Poznań, Poland

Not so long ago, the Free Software community celebrated the "I Love Free Software Day". A day in which the FSFE, our volunteers and many other organisations and individuals thank all contributors for their commitment to use, study, share and improve Free Software. Without them there is no software freedom!

For the "I Love Free Software Day" in 2026, 22 events were organised across 12 European countries. Several of them were organised by the FSFE's local groups. At these celebrations people came together to share their knowledge and stories about Free Software, discuss and inspire others to study, use, improve and share the software we all love. Each of these celebrations is unique and showcases the commitment of our community, from local gatherings with pizza and fun Free Software games to larger events addressing new people with talks and networking.

The biggest "I Love Free Software" event in our 2026 celebrations took place in Poznań (Poland) with around 80 participants. The event was organised by the local FSFE group with the collaboration of their local university. Here, they were allowed to use a lecture hall for presentations and they also had some time to network afterwards.

One of the main organisers of the event was Paweł Wiczyński, also known as ‘pomidor’. Paweł, is a founding member of Knyfyrtel Poznan Hackerspace, and he has been a Free Software enthusiast for a very long time. The first time he got in touch with Free Software was when he was very young, just about 10 years old. At that age he heard about GNU/Linux, a Free Software alternative to Windows, and tried it out on his computer. From there onwards he has been hooked and learned more and more about the FLOSS ecosystem.

FSFE: Hello Paweł, thank you so much for finding time to do this interview. Let's start by getting back to the roots, why do you believe Free Software is important?

Paweł, one of the FSFE Poznań coordinators: I think that Free Software is important because it allows people to keep control over the technology they use. Today, our lives are increasingly dependent on various types of software. We use it every day on many different devices. If we do not ensure that this software is free, we allow entities, such governments, companies or corporations, to control us. This is why I believe that Free Software should be promoted and used wherever possible.

FSFE: How did you first hear of the “I Love Free Software Day”? And what were your thoughts about this initiative?

Paweł: My colleague Damian, who is the FSFE coordinator in Poland, told me about the "I Love Free Software Day" initiative. I had not heard of this day before. I really liked it and thought it would be great to join in. As a member of Knyfyrtel Poznan Hackerspace, I enjoy organizing events for the community. And this was a great idea to do something new that fits in with our mission.

I very like that the event is organized in many places across numerous cities in Europe. I believe that such initiatives are truly needed, because they make it possible to reach a much wider audience. By acting together on an international scale, we can amplify the message and show that the Free Software community is strong, connected, and active beyond local borders.

FSFE:Why did you decide to organise an “I Love Free Software Day” event in 2026?

Paweł: We were inspired to organise this year's “I Love Free Software Day” by the success of last year's edition and the enthusiasm of the community. We had enough willing organisers to hold a large meetup for the community.

Moreover, we have very good connections with the academic community in Poznań. We wanted to use it to reach not only students, but also IT professionals, enthusiasts, and regular users interested in Free Software. Our goal was simply to bring these groups together in one place and give them an opportunity to learn something new, network, and get involved in Free Software initiatives.

FSFE: This was the second time you organised the local celebration in Poznań. How was the event in 2026 compared to the event in 2025?

Paweł: That’s right. We organised “I Love Free Software Day” for the first time last year, and we had no idea how many participants to expect. The reality exceeded our expectations – there were about 50 people, and they almost did not fit in the room.

This year, the event was even bigger – there was more pizza, more speakers, and more participants. Around 80 people attended, and this time we made sure to book a larger room. We also carefully planned the schedule to avoid delays, including an extra break for networking and socialising. Additionally, we organised a campaign to write cards to Free Software creators and maintainers.

FSFE: And in general, how was the 2026 celebration of the “I Love Free Software Day”?

Paweł: We organised the in the form of a meetup at Poznań University of Technology – short 15-minute talks with additional Q & A from participants. A total of six speakers talked about various FLOSS projects and how they use it in their daily work. After that, there was time for networking and refreshments with pizza and drinks. Overall, the event was very successful – we received positive feedback from the community, made new contacts and exchanged knowledge.

FSFE: How did you start the cooperation with the University?

Paweł: As Knyfyrtel Poznan Hackerspace, we already had the opportunity to organise events in cooperation with scientific clubs at Poznań University of Technology. For “I Love Free Software Day,” we leveraged these connections and invited them to collaborate.

Last year, our main co-organiser was PUTrequest_ team, while this year it was Linux Academic Group. They handled all the formalities, secured the venue, and arranged support from the university authorities. We really appreciate working with the academic community and look forward to building even more joint initiatives in the future.

FSFE: Did you use any of the materials the FSFE provides for organising a local celebration?

Paweł: We had a lot of materials from last year – stickers, posters, cards, and leaflets. We also printed some of the stickers ourselves. Presentation templates used during the opening and closing of the event were very helpful. It would surely be easier if package arrived, but this year we managed without it.

FSFE: What would you recommend to others when they want to organise an “I Love Free Software Day” celebrations and what are pitfalls you would say should be avoided?

Paweł: First and foremost, do not hesitate, just do it! All you need is a venue and motivation. If possible, collaborate with local groups, students, and academic circles, as they can help you attract participants. Take care of promotion – use social media, event aggregators, chats, and online groups to advertise your event. Tell your friends to tell their friends. You can also create a dedicated website and put up posters in the neighbourhood.

As for pitfalls, if you are organising an event at a university, be prepared for delays with formalities and permits – handling these can take much more time than expected. Also, make sure to order promotional materials well in advance; in our case, one month was not enough. Planning these details early will save a lot of headaches and help the event run smoothly.

FSFE: Thank you for sharing your very hands-on advice! Just a quick follow-up here, how many people are involved in organising the event?

Paweł: There were about 20 people who took part in the organisational meetings.

FSFE: Do you also organise additional events throughout the year and what would be the next meeting where others can join you?

Paweł: Yes. We organise many different events, but our biggest one is P.I.W.O. – Poznań Free Software Fest". It is a free conference that we organise in cooperation with the academic community in Poznań. It has over 20 years of tradition, but it was inactive for over 7 years. The Knyfyrtel Poznan Hackerspace reactivated it last year – and it was a great success. Almost 200 participants, 2 tracks, free pizza, LAN Party and lightning talks. This year, we are planning another edition on an even larger scale. This year, it will be on 30 May 2026 at the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, AMU in Poznań (English website and social media).

FSFE: Is there a Free Software project, which you would like to highlight and say ‘Thank you’ to?

Paweł: There are many Free Software projects that I use and would like to thank. But if I had to choose one, it would be Thunderbird. It is my favourite email client. I have been using it for years. And recently, it has been developing very dynamically. I really appreciate the Thunderbird team and wish them continued success and growth with the project.

FSFE: Paweł, thank you very much for your time! I hope there will be many more “I Love Free Software Day” celebrations in Poznań.

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SFP#49: O Captain! Let's talk about the FSF Zurich group!

For our 49th episode of the Software Freedom Podcast we invited Ralf Hersel and did our first cross production with the Podcast “Captain it’s Wednesday” from GNU/Linux.ch. Ralf is part or the FSFE Zurich group and the GNU/Linux.ch, a community driven news page about everything related to Free Software and free society. In this general episode of the SFP Ralf takes us through the many activities the FSFE local group in Zurich has been doing.

Together with Bonnie Mehring, Ralf Hersel takes us back to the six activities the local group has either organised itself or participated in. He reflects on what went well and what could have gone better as well as where the problems lay and the learnings as a local group organising and participating in events. It is inspiring and amazing to see so much energy coming from a group of volunteers!

But Ralf is not only very busy with the FSFE local group in Zurich. Next to it, he is also an active contributor to the community driven news platform “GNU/Linux.ch”. Over 220 authors contribute to the news page and share their stories. In the Podcast of GNU/Linux.ch, “Captain, it’s Wednesday” over 100 people have been invited to join over the years. This is the first cross-production of the Software Freedom Podcast and you find the episode released by “Captain it’s Wednesday” here.

Get inspired by our latest episode and find out more about the FSFE’s local groups in Europe!

The FSFE's work aims at safeguarding Software Freedom. You can support our work by donating today!

Show notes

• Support our work for Free Software
• Community: FSFE's local groups
• FSFE local group Zurich
• Lernen wie die Profis (DE only) (Learn like a pro)
• FediGov: Federated communication for public authorities
• Digitale Gesellschaft Schweiz (DE and FR only)
• Digitale Nachhaltigkeit, Matthias Stürmer (DE and FR only)
• Das Netzwerk für eine souveräne digitale Schweiz (DE and FR only)
• Captain it's Wednesday - Folge 172 - Ralf at Software Freedom Podcast"
• Stay up-to-date and join our Newsletter

We are happy to receive your feedback on the Software Freedom Podcast and especially on the transcript of the episode. Please, email us to: podcast@fsfe.org. If you liked this episode and want to support our continuous work for software freedom, please help us with a donation.

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