Although Apple is on record as saying that it wants to see the EU’s Digital Markets Act either repealed or substantially revised, it is reportedly close to reaching a settlement with the antitrust regulator. In public, the two have engaged in a pretty fierce war of words, but a new report claims that they are close to reaching a behind-the-scenes agreement … A quick recap on Apple and the DMA Europe’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) antitrust legislation designated a number of tech companies as “gatekeepers” – meaning that they are powerful enough to use their market dominance to block competition. Apple was designated a gatekeeper because it hit a minimum user threshold, with one concern its monopoly over the sale of iPhone apps. It was told that it must allow people to buy and sell iPhone apps outside of its own App Store. The company complied, and there are now several alternative app stores for iPhone apps. The DMA also says that if Apple offers new iPhone-powered features that work with its own hardware, like AirPods, then it must make the same connected features available to third-party hardware companies. Apple says this poses significant privacy challenges, and that’s the reason that it has had to delay the launch of some new features within the EU. A public war of words Apple accused the EU of promoting unfair competition. The DMA’s rules only apply to Apple, even though Samsung is the smartphone market leader in Europe, and Chinese companies are growing fast. Apple has led the way in building a unique, innovative ecosystem that others have copied — to the benefit of users everywhere. But instead of rewarding that innovation, the DMA singles Apple out while leaving our competitors free to continue as they always have. The EU was equally vehement in its response. Apple has simply contested every little bit of the DMA [Digital Markets Act] since its entry into application […] This undermines the company’s narrative of wanting to be fully cooperative with the Commission […] We of course fully get companies want to defend their profits at all costs, but that’s not what the DMA is about. Close to reaching a private agreement In private, however, the Financial Times claims that the two parties are close to reaching agreement, and that the same is true of Meta. The companies are in the final stages of agreeing a deal with European regulators to change a range of business practices after being fined a total of €700m in April for breaching the EU’s landmark Digital Markets Act, according to officials briefed on the discussions. Apple has already complied with the requirement to permit third-party app stores. The remaining dispute is whether Apple unfairly treats developers who choose to offer their apps through these stores, with the Core Technology Fee central to this. While the negotiations are continuing with the two groups, people briefed on the talks said no final decisions had been made but they were hopeful the cases would be settled soon. 9to5Mac’s Take It’s often the case that organizations will duke it out in public whilst being much more conciliatory in private. A compromise has always seemed likely, though we would note that the word “soon” can have rather unusual meanings when it comes to EU matters. Highlighted accessories Photo by Gift Habeshaw on Unsplash