BRUSSELS, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Apple ( AAPL ) on Wednesday

hit out at Meta Platforms ( META ), saying its numerous requests

to access the iPhone maker's software tools for its devices

could impact users' privacy and security, underscoring the

intense rivalry between the two tech giants.

Under the European Union's landmark Digital Markets Act that

took effect last year, Apple ( AAPL ) must allow rivals and app

developers to inter-operate with its own services or risk a fine

of as much as 10% of its global annual turnover.

Meta has made 15 interoperability requests thus far, more

than any other company, for potentially far-reaching access to

Apple's ( AAPL ) technology stack, the latter said in a report.

"In many cases, Meta is seeking to alter functionality in a

way that raises concerns about the privacy and security of

users, and that appears to be completely unrelated to the actual

use of Meta external devices, such as Meta smart glasses and

Meta Quests," Apple ( AAPL ) said.

Meta Quest is Meta's virtual reality headset, part of the

company's ambition to own the computational platform that powers

virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) devices.

"If Apple ( AAPL ) were to have to grant all of these requests,

Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp could enable Meta to read on a

user's device all of their messages and emails, see every phone

call they make or receive, track every app that they use, scan

all of their photos, look at their files and calendar events,

log all of their passwords, and more," Apple ( AAPL ) said.

It pointed to Meta's privacy fines in Europe in recent years

as a cause of concern.

Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Separately, the European Commission - which in September

said it would spell out how Apple ( AAPL ) must open up to rivals -

published its preliminary findings on the issue late Wednesday

evening, giving individuals, companies and organisations until

Jan. 9 to provide feedback on Apple's ( AAPL ) proposals.

A decision by the EU executive, which acts as the

competition watchdog in the 27-country bloc, on whether Apple ( AAPL )

complies with the DMA's interoperability provision is expected

in March next year.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Chris Reese and Lincoln

Feast.)