Apple says it’s placing the iPhone user experience “first and foremost” ahead of the needs of its EU-based developers in complying with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) with the iOS 17.4 update. Apple is doubling down on its position in a new hearing held today with the European Commission amid criticism that it’s not doing enough.

As reported by Reuters, Apple lawyers were involved in today’s new hearing organized by the European Commission. The high-stakes meeting involved several parties affected by the DMA, including app developers, business users, and competitors. Throughout the meeting, Apple stated that its efforts mainly focused on being DMA-compliant to the best of its abilities “in a way that was consistent with our values.” Apple also says that the user experience and perspective remain at the forefront of its efforts.

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. And we think we’ve accomplished that.

And I think we’re focused on it from a user perspective. Now, it’s not to say that we’re not focused on the impact of developers, but I think from our perspective first and foremost, we’ll be tracking very carefully what’s the impact of all of these different changes on the user experience that we’ve delivered to our customers for 15, 16 years through the iPhone?

Apple hearing statement

While Apple does put its developers’ needs at the top of its priorities, the company nevertheless claims that it’s treading very carefully on how changes required by the DMA are affecting users in the first place. Part of Apple’s reluctance with the DMA is the potential impact it could have on how users perceive the experience of using their iPhones. This experience has been tightly controlled and refined over 16 years, and Apple wants to avoid any sudden modifications that could arise from the DMA.

Despite Apple’s words today, it appears that the company is deliberately making it as convoluted as possible for European users to download alternative app marketplaces on their iPhones. As pointed out by @xroissance on X, users running iOS 17.4 could be treated to as many as 15 steps to download apps from outside the App Store. Many of these steps involve multiple warning screens in a bid to scare off users from installing app marketplaces.

Apple has come under heavy fire from big developers over its compliance with the DMA, with many developers accusing the company of malicious compliance that still gives it the ultimate control over the iPhone’s app ecosystem. Epic Games has been one of the most critical voices against Apple in the last few years, with its CEO Tim Sweeney mincing harsh words against some of Apple’s policies for alternative app marketplaces.

iOS 17.4 is Apple’s first step in compliance with the DMA. The update introduces significant changes to the iPhone’s app ecosystem, including alternative app marketplaces and the ability to download apps directly from websites without the App Store. Apple has also made it easier for EU iPhone users to select third-party web browsers other than Safari as default. DMA-imposed changes won’t stop there, as Apple plans to make it easier for iPhone users to switch to Android within the next year.