> teams across Apple are spending thousands of hours to bring new features to the European Union while meeting the law’s requirements

Do they really expect us to feel sorry for this trillion dollar corporation...?

> it’s become clear that we can’t solve every problem the DMA creates

Then pull out of the european market and eat the loss!

Ars has fallen a long way from what they used to be (I say this as a former subscriber).

Expect clickbait articles, shallow tech coverage, rabid commenters (I don't visit the forum but the comments were previously - mostly - of higher quality).

I still follow it because I haven't found a worthy replacement yet.

As for the article, it actually says this was within a routine consultation, ie. EU asked companies what they think and (as you point out) Apple politely responded.

I don't

Is it?

Apple say it may stopping shipping to the EU

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45372515

Google say The Digital Markets Act: time for a reset

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45381013

arstechnica lost me as a reader about 8 years ago. it's like reading business insider with a hilariously liberal comment section.

I'm not sure I would expect better from Ars - the company that went all in talking about one of the sites users comments when he became news worth (Edward Snowden). I've stopped reading them since that.

The actual words from Apple quoted in the article:

>The DMA should be repealed while a more appropriate fit for purpose legislative instrument is put in place... Despite our concerns with the DMA, teams across Apple are spending thousands of hours to bring new features to the European Union while meeting the law’s requirements. But it’s become clear that we can’t solve every problem the DMA creates.

The headline could just have easily said "Apple Requests" or "Apple Suggests".

I doubt it would make waves if Apple expressed the same opinion about some US legislation. Is Apple allowed to have an opinion about legislation in other countries where it operates?

It’s about who blinks first — or at least that’s what Apple thinks. Just keep in perspective at what acute angle Apple bends in China. It’ll be a shame if EU chooses to blink.

All arguments Apple puts in their statement are political, not real technical issues. Apple is acting like a country now.

Companies have been lobbying for laws for as long as there have been companies and laws.

A similar thing worked for Google when they were trying to stop Canada's Digital Services Tax. You can probably expect Trump to start threatening more tariff's over this any day now, although Tim Cook might need to have another 24K gold plaque made first.

I think you’re inferring a tone from the headline that isn’t actually present in Apple’s statement. They’re not demanding anything, they just think it would be a good idea.

“Demand” is pure clickbait editorializing on the part of this article’s author. Here is the actual comment from Apple:

https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2025/09/the-digital-markets-a...

Which doesn’t read like a demand to me. Now, we may all agree or disagree with Apple’s claim, but characterizing it as a “demand” is pure modern journalism.

FWIW, the headline is spun. Apple is providing feedback for the law via a routine legislative process. But yeah, they hate the law and they want it repealed, and they said so.

I mean, I think they're wrong. But that said... what's the argument here? Apple shouldn't be allowed to say that they hate a law that they actually hate? Apple should absolutely feel entitled ("emboldened" even) to express their opinions. That's the whole point about civil discourse, no?

You can only shake someone down so many times before they say no mas. There have been hints from the US administration that they recognized the DMA as something to be addressed. I'd imagine it was a topic of conversation when Cook gave Trump the gold statue.

> As for Apple, WTF gives a US company any right to demand anything from Europe? Chutzpa?

I am also finding it bizarre, if there would be a European company in US ignoring US laws and wanting to repeal them for something more European, whole federal government would be screaming bloody murder.

> "or else?"

"Or else" is already happening. MacOS and IOS have fewer features in EU than USA. IPhone screen mirroring is not available in EU for example. All regulations have cost and legal risks. At some point it may not worth it financially.

According to the Guardian article:

> the company could stop shipping some products and services to the 27-country bloc.

But not all products of course.

EU is #2 (behind the US) in terms of net sales accounting for 26% in 2024. There is no "or else".

Or else they look to the guy they gave the gold disc to reciprocate against EU crown jewels. LVMH looks like a big target to me.

The guy who took the company to a multi-trillion dollar market cap has no leadership skills because he didn't write you an autographed philosophical treatise?

It’s “Yet again, Apple misses a DMA feedback opportunity to peddle PR”.

Consultation documents and published feedback: https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-sa...

The documents link the DMA page on the EC website: https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/consultation-first-...

Interestingly there is no published filing by Apple, yet, and the consultation is closed for two days. Maybe they filed late and publishing the feedback takes time, due to the EC reading it before putting it on their website. Or quite possibly Apple did not actually file anything as part of the official process and is instead publishing their opinion on their blog.

Which will have unintended consequences, like falling behind competitors, who will use it against Apple as a leverage and slowly push it from European market, which is 26% of Apple's revenue.

Average European is like average American, they are not following these political and corporational dramas, but they can tell that i.e. Samsung has features, while Apple is stale.

How did they view GDPR over there in hindsight? All that really did was nag everyone about cookies forever after.

They likely do, but China's not exactly renowned for welcoming the input or feedback of western corporations when it comes to their laws and policies.