May 22, 2026
iCourt: Judgment Day
FSFE intervenes against Apple before EUCJ for the second time
Apple’s EU court fight just got a new enemy — and commenters are calling it a battle for our digital future
TLDR: A European court has let the Free Software Foundation Europe join a major case over whether Apple must open up its devices more to outside software and hardware. In the comments, the mood is dramatic and defiant: people say the once-mocked software freedom crowd now looks alarmingly right about big tech control.
Apple’s latest courtroom clash in Europe just picked up a very loud side character: the Free Software Foundation Europe, which has officially been allowed to join the fight against Apple in support of the European Commission. In plain English, this case is about whether Apple can be forced to make its phones and tablets play more nicely with outside apps, tools, and devices instead of keeping everything locked inside its own walled garden. And in the comments, people are treating it like far more than a legal paperwork story — they’re calling it a frontline battle over who gets to control the future of personal tech.
The strongest reaction so far is a full-on “the so-called extremists were right” mood. One commenter practically delivered a victory lap for the Free Software crowd, saying the group has long been mocked as too ideological and too impractical, but now looks increasingly prophetic as big tech gets more powerful. That hot take came with a side of humor too: a cheeky laugh about the famous old photos of Richard Stallman’s laptop setup, followed by a genuinely dramatic warning about a coming “tech dystopia.” So yes, the vibes are immaculate if you enjoy your policy news with a pinch of apocalypse.
The drama here is deliciously simple: Apple says “let us run our platform our way,” while critics hear lock-in, gatekeeping, and bad news for smaller developers. The community mood, at least from the reaction provided, is deeply suspicious of closed ecosystems and oddly emotional about the idea that younger users may never get to experience the old-school freedom to tinker, connect, and build. It’s less “boring EU case” and more David, Goliath, and a comment section ready to rumble.
Key Points
- •The Court of Justice of the European Union approved FSFE’s request to intervene in case T-359/25, Apple v. European Commission, in support of the Commission.
- •Apple is challenging the European Commission’s decision on how it must comply with Article 6(7) of the Digital Markets Act regarding software and hardware interoperability.
- •The Commission’s decision includes measures aimed at improving transparency, access to technical information, communication channels, and procedures for developer interoperability requests.
- •The court said the case outcome is likely to have a significant impact on Free and Open Source Software and on developers’ ability to connect applications with Apple’s operating systems.
- •This is FSFE’s second DMA-related intervention involving Apple at the CJEU; the earlier T-1080/23 case concerns Apple’s broader challenge to its DMA obligations and gatekeeper designation.