Regulatory track record (36 months)
- • DMA non-compliance fine €500m (anti-steering / App Store), April 2025. EU Commission
- • Antitrust fine €1.8bn (music streaming / Spotify complaint), March 2024. EU Commission
- • French competition fine €250m re: App Tracking Transparency (ATT) & ad sector effects, 2025. Autorité de la concurrence
- • CNIL €8m (personalised ads on iOS 14.6 without valid consent), 2023. CNIL
- • €13bn tax state-aid case — Apple must pay (final judgment), Sept 2024. CJEU press
Heat badge set to High due to multiple recent fines/decisions across competition & tax.
1) Data Practices & Protection — 3.5 / 5
Strong device security and on-device processing; privacy marketing sometimes outpaces practice; UK users lost ADP end-to-end iCloud backup for now.
Pros
- Advanced Data Protection (E2EE) for iCloud (opt-in, most categories). Apple Support
- Robust platform security & bug bounty. Apple Security Bounty
- Clear opt-outs for Apple ads; privacy labels, ATT prompts. Apple Ads & Privacy
Forced vs chosen: major privacy wins (ATT, ADP) are Apple-driven; but UK ADP rollback and EU fines show limits under law and enforcement.
2) How They Make Money (incl. Monopoly & Competition) — 2.4 / 5
Hardware-led model with growing services & ads. App Store control, anti-steering and Core Tech fees drew DMA action.
Pros
- Primary revenues from devices & services, not classic surveillance ad brokerage.
- Apple Ads claim limited data use & opt-outs. Apple
Cons
- DMA non-compliance fine (€500m) for anti-steering; ongoing scrutiny of fees/terms. EU Commission
- €1.8bn antitrust fine (music streaming abuse). EU Commission
- French authority fined Apple over ATT’s market effects. ADLC
Explicitly: Apple states it doesn’t sell personal data; issues here are market power & restrictive terms, not classic data brokerage.
3) Manipulative Design — 2.8 / 5
Polished UX, but defaults, bundling and nudges keep you inside the walled garden.
Pros
- Focus modes, Screen Time, robust permission prompts.
- Clearer consent flows than many ad-funded rivals.
Cons
- Defaults & preinstalls favour Apple services; CMA found Apple/Google mobile ecosystems restrict choice/competition. UK CMA study
- Historic limits on linking out / steering (see DMA decision). EU Commission
4) Mental Health & Minority Safety — 4.5 / 5
Apple is not a UGC social platform; risks are lower. Useful wellbeing controls are built in.
Pros
- Screen Time, Focus modes, notifications control.
- No newsfeed/algorithmic engagement surfaces akin to social networks.
Cons
- App Store surfaces can still drive engagement loops (but far less than social feeds).
Floor note: Not applicable here (no pervasive UGC feed).
5) Environmental Impact — 3.7 / 5
Ambitious 2030 supply-chain targets; still challenged on repairability claims and marketing language.
Pros
Cons
- UK ASA/advertising scrutiny around “carbon neutral” claims. ASA rulings
- Repairability still constrained (parts pairing etc.).
6) Employee & Supply Chain Treatment — 2.8 / 5
Extensive Supplier Code & audits, but recurring concerns in high-risk regions.
Pros
- Public Supplier Code, audits, Modern Slavery statements. Apple
- External benchmarks track some progress. KnowTheChain (ICT)
Cons
- Persistent reports of labour violations at suppliers & Xinjiang exposure debates. Reuters roundup
7) Civic Influence & Geopolitics — 3.0 / 5 (avg)
7A. Elections & Civic Discourse — 3.4
Limited direct role (no social feed). Transparency reports exist.
7B. Lobbying & Policy Influence — 3.0
Heavy US/EU lobbying on platform rules and privacy/competition. OpenSecrets
8) Child & Youth Impact — 3.5 / 5
Good device-level controls; adequacy of age verification is moderate rather than robust.
Pros
- Child accounts & Ask to Buy parental approvals. Apple Family Sharing
- Communication Safety in Messages (on-device nudity warnings). Apple Support
- Screen Time, content restrictions, location sharing controls.
Cons
- Age assurance largely relies on declared DOB & family setup; no standardised, strong ID checks across services.
- Some protections depend on correct family configuration & supervision.
Is it robust? Better than “just a tick-box”, but not a hard proof-of-age system; it’s configuration-driven, not ID-verified.
9) Community & Fair Tax — 2.0 / 5
The final EU ruling on Ireland’s rulings is a significant mark against Apple’s tax posture.
Pros
- Annual reports disclose global ETR and tax notes; philanthropy via corporate programmes.
Stricter stance: we penalise heavily for legal compliance achieved only after adverse judgments.
Verdict
Apple builds secure, privacy-forward devices—but increasingly because the law insists, not out of sheer goodwill. If you want premium hardware with sane defaults, it’s one of the better options; just go in eyes open about the ecosystem lock-ins, fees, and that bruising EU tax and DMA record.
Key sources
- EU DMA non-compliance fine (anti-steering): Press release
- EU €1.8bn music streaming abuse: Press release
- French ATT €250m: ADLC
- CNIL €8m (iOS 14.6 ads consent): CNIL
- €13bn tax—final CJEU ruling: Court press
- Apple privacy & ADP: Apple Support
- UK CMA Mobile Ecosystems: Final report
- Child features: Family Sharing • Communication Safety
- China VPN removals: BBC • Navalny app removal: NYT • Airdrop limit: The Verge
Each category’s inline links back the specific claims.