New Delhi

Apple has defended its adherence to the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA), countering criticism that it hasn't taken sufficient steps to open up its closed ecosystem as mandated by the legislation.

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The DMA, which came into effect on March 7, imposes a set of obligations and prohibitions on tech giants such as Apple, Google, Amazon, ByteDance, Meta Platforms, and Microsoft.

Despite scrutiny, Apple maintains it has aligned with the DMA's requirements, citing recent changes aimed at fostering a more open app distribution ecosystem within the EU.

In response to concerns raised during a day-long hearing organized by the European Commission, Apple's lawyer Kyle Andeer emphasised the company's commitment to compliance with the law.

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Andeer highlighted Apple's focus on ensuring alignment with its core values and user-centric approach, stating, "We were guided first and foremost by ensuring that we've complied with the law. And then second, that we did it in a way that was consistent with our values and consistent with the language that we've developed with our users over a very long period of time."

While Apple asserts its compliance with the DMA, other tech giants are set to present their respective compliance efforts in separate hearings organized by the European Commission.

Meta Platforms, Amazon, Alphabet, ByteDance, and Microsoft are scheduled to outline their approaches in the coming days, signalling a broader scrutiny of industry practices in alignment with the DMA's objectives.

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The DMA imposes significant penalties on companies failing to meet its requirements, including fines of up to 10 per cent of their global annual turnover, underscoring the gravity of regulatory non-compliance in the digital market landscape.

(With inputs from Reuters)