05:52 AM EDT, 09/20/2024 (MT Newswires) -- (Updates with a statement from Apple ( AAPL ) in the last paragraph.)

The European Union said Thursday it has launched two proceedings to compel Apple ( AAPL ) to open the operating systems on its iPhones and iPads to other technologies or risk the possibility of fines or periodic penalty payments.

The European Commission said in a statement that under the Digital Markets Act, Apple ( AAPL ) must provide free and effective interoperability to third-party developers and businesses with hardware and software features controlled by its operating systems, iOS and iPadOS.

The EC said the first proceeding will specify how Apple ( AAPL ) can provide connectivity to other devices while a second process will focus on re-designing its operating system to allow other app developers to access iOS.

The commission said it will conclude both proceedings in six months, during which it will convey to Apple ( AAPL ) what steps it must take to come into compliance with interoperability regulations.

"To comply with the DMA, we've also created ways for apps in the European Union to request additional interoperability with iOS and iPadOS while protecting our users," an Apple ( AAPL ) spokesperson told MT Newswires, pointing to the global CrowdStrike outage that crashed Microsoft's Windows operating system in July as a potential danger of free interoperability. "Undermining the protections we've built over time would put European consumers at risk, giving bad actors more ways to access their devices and data."

Price: 228.50, Change: -0.37, Percent Change: -0.16