Legal & Policy
Interoperability regulation in the EU: Opening iOS and Android for Free Software
January 31, 2026
3:30 PM – 4:30 PM Add to calendar
3:30 PM – 4:30 PM Add to calendar
UB5.230
<p>This panel will bring together policy/legal experts and enforcement officers from the European Commission to discuss how the Digital Markets Act (DMA) applies to Apple’s iOS/iPadOS and Google’s Android from the perspective of interoperability.</p>
<p>In particular, the panel will deal with the European Commission's recent decisions in regulating hardware and software interoperability for Apple’s OSes. The audience will learn what interoperability under the DMA means for Free Software developers, and how they can expect the interoperability solutions to be provided by gatekeeper companies like Apple and Google.</p>
<p>More importantly, the discussion will address relevant questions for the effective implementation of the interoperability obligations in the DMA, including: </p>
<ul>
<li>How can Free Software projects request interoperability from Apple and Google under the DMA? </li>
<li>What are the concerns regarding integrity and security of the operating system involving interoperability grants under the DMA?</li>
<li>What are the main challenges posed by changes in governance for the Android Open Source Project? </li>
<li>What other DMA obligations can Free Software developers rely on to facilitate switching, specially related to data interoperability and portability?</li>
<li>What are the consequences if Apple and Google fail to interoperate?</li>
<li>Does the DMA effectively shift gatekeeper control away from Apple and Google? </li>
<li>What regulatory or community responses, at both the European and global levels, are needed to preserve software freedom in the mobile ecosystem?</li>
</ul>
<p>The panel will be composed by:</p>
<ul>
<li>Lori Roussey, Data Rights</li>
<li>Victor Le Pochat, European Commission's DMA enforcement team</li>
<li>Gabriel Kobus, European Commission's DMA enforcement team</li>
<li>Alexander Matern, European Commission's DMA enforcement team</li>
</ul>
<p>Panel moderation: Lucas Lasota, Legal Researcher and Lecturer at the Halle-Wittenberg University. </p>
<p>The language will be English.</p>
Additional information
| Live Stream | https://live.fosdem.org/watch/ub5230 |
|---|---|
| Type | devroom |
| Language | English |
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