The EU Digital Markets Act (DMA) promises open digital markets by forcing gatekeepers like Apple and Google to grant “free and effective access to hardware and software features”, a direct opening for Free Software developers to build real alternatives. But two years into implementation, the gap between the law’s promise and what developers actually experience on the ground is striking.
How is interoperability actually being granted, and on what terms? While Apple’s public tracker lists nearly fifty interoperability requests, the real story lies in what gets denied, delayed, or buried in conditions that lock out Free Software projects.
This talk presents what FSFE has learned from two years of monitoring DMA implementation from a Free Software perspective. We will share findings from our developer survey, walk through Apple’s and Google’s gatekeeping practices, and explain what FSFE is doing , including in court, to push back.
Specifically, we will:
– Walk through Apple’s 40+ interoperability requests and what they mean for Free Software: which doors are opening, which are being slammed shut, and why the denials matter most.
– Examine Google’s moves on Android: changes to AOSP source availability, tightening interoperability documentation, and side-loading restrictions that threaten alternative app ecosystems and distribution channels.
– Report on FSFE’s litigation against Apple under DMA Art. 6(7), and what it means for the broader fight for software freedom on locked platforms.
– Present findings from the FSFE DMA Interoperability Survey, which collects structured, first-hand accounts from Free Software developers trying to access interoperability.
