Apple has filed a legal challenge against a European Union order requiring the tech giant to open its closed ecosystem to competitors, including Meta and Google. The company argues that the demands are unreasonable, costly, and threaten user privacy and innovation.

The European Commission outlined the requirements in March under the Digital Markets Act, legislation designed to curb the market dominance of major tech firms and promote fair competition.

In a statement, Apple criticized the EU’s interoperability rules, calling them “a process that is unreasonable, costly, and stifles innovation.” The company added that the requirements would “hand data-hungry companies sensitive information, which poses massive privacy and security risks to our EU users.”

Apple further claimed that the regulations unfairly single it out: “These deeply flawed rules that only target Apple—and no other company—will severely limit our ability to deliver innovative products and features to Europe, leading to an inferior user experience for our European customers.”

The EU order compels Apple to allow rival manufacturers of smartphones, headphones, and virtual reality devices access to its mobile operating system and technology, enabling them to connect directly with iPhones and iPads. It also mandates a structured process for Apple to respond to interoperability requests from app developers.

While the legal battle is expected to unfold over several years, Apple must comply with the Commission’s directives in the meantime. Companies including Meta, Google, Spotify, and Garmin have already submitted requests to access Apple’s user data and system functionalities under the new framework.