April 21, 2026
Deny button goes brrr
Apple ignores DMA interoperability requests and contradicts own documentation
EU says “open the gates”, Apple says “not today”; devs threaten lawsuits
TLDR: FSFE says Apple hasn’t granted a single one of 56 EU-era requests to open iPhone features, despite rules meant to force interoperability. Commenters aren’t surprised: many call for lawsuits and huge fines, while others argue users are stuck in a “secure but locked” world—and they’re over it.
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) just dropped a report saying Apple delivered exactly zero real solutions to 56 formal requests to access iPhone features—despite new EU rules that say big platforms have to play nice. Think tap-to-pay chips, Bluetooth audio, and special tools that make some apps run faster—developers asked, Apple said nope. The crowd reaction? Explosive.
One top-voted mood was “not shocked, just lawyer up.” As pjc50 put it, you’ll have to sue “for every atom of compliance.” Others piled on with the classic “hit them where it hurts” take: fines so big they make Tim Cook’s Apple Watch do the heart-rate alert. Meanwhile, u_sama summed up user frustration in plain English: still can’t just install any app you want on an iPhone, EU law or not. Cue the meme chorus: Apple’s favorite feature right now is the Deny button going brrr.
Then the drama took a spicy turn. Some blasted FSFE itself—anthk called them a “honeypot” for not going hard enough—while nazgu1 came for the “security” excuse, arguing a locked phone isn’t safer than an educated user. In short: FSFE says Apple’s request maze contradicts its own docs; the community says bring the lawsuits and the fines—and make it fast. For background, the EU’s Digital Markets Act is the law trying to pry these gates open.
Key Points
- •FSFE’s report finds that, as of 22 March 2026, none of 56 DMA interoperability requests to Apple yielded a concrete solution.
- •Requests for access to JIT compilation, NFC protocols, and Bluetooth Low Energy Audio were denied, often as “outside the scope” of the DMA.
- •FSFE says Apple’s denials contradict its own technical documentation and cites evidence from Apple’s EC‑mandated public tracker.
- •The report criticizes Apple’s request‑based process as burdensome, involving accounts, fees, detailed submissions, lengthy reviews, and account‑closure risks.
- •FSFE calls for open standards, transparent procedures, and stronger EC enforcement to ensure DMA obligations provide fair access to iOS/iPadOS features.