Four European carriers have written to the European Commission claiming that Apple’s Private Relay in iOS 15 undermines digital sovereignty and should be stopped. Apple’s Private Relay, still in beta, is a VPN-like service for iOS 15, iPadOS 15 and macOS Monterey that blocks users’ precise location data from being exposed.
It has already been revealed that Apple has not implemented the feature in all countries, and now European operators are also asking for local exclusions. In a letter to the European Commission in August 2021, the four operators raised their objections. T-Mobile, Orange, Vodafone and Telefonica jointly said Apple’s services will have significant consequences in undermining European digital sovereignty.
Furthermore, Private Relay will harm innovation and competition in downstream digital markets by others, the letter said, and may negatively impact operators’ ability to effectively manage telecommunications networks.
If Apple is classified as a digital gatekeeper under the EU’s Digital Markets Act, there is a chance that the company will be blocked from implementing the Private Relay service. However, legislative work on the bill has been delayed considerably and has not been ratified by European governments.