New ad-blocking approach in iOS27 is in direct breach of 2022 Digital Markets Act
The Movement for an Open Web has called on the European Commission to impose interim competition measures on Apple in response to its introduction of anti-competitive ad blocking in iOS27. In a letter to the EC’s Directorate General for Competition, MOW asked the Commission to intervene immediately to force Apple to withdraw its blocking under the terms of the Digital Markets Act.
The issue centres around Apple’s release of its iOS27 update in September 2026. This new software introduced domain-level blocking for a range of demand side platform (DSPs) including The Trade Desk, LiveRamp, ID5, Permutive and Audigent, effectively preventing these providers from serving advertising on the Safari browser. At the same time, iOS27 continues to allow Apple and Google to serve ads in the same way.
This action blocked bids and ad requests meaning online publishers are not able to monetise their pages, which reduces digital advertising revenue.
MOW’s complaint to the EC highlights that Apple’s action is discriminatory and a ‘refusal to supply’, in direct breach of Articles 6(7), 5(4), 13(4) and (6) of the Digital Markets Act.
In addition the letter to the EC, MOW is also submitting the same request to the UK’s CMA as part of Apple’s designation as having strategic market status under the DMCCA.
Tim Cowen, co-founder of Movement for an Open Web, said: “The Commission has recently taken interim measures in a case involving Meta discriminating and recognises the need to do so in fast moving markets where, absent swift action, the harm becomes irreversible. Similarly, Apple is discriminating against independent Ad Tech businesses. It has stopped independent AdTech businesses from serving ads but continues to allow itself and Google to do so. This harm is serious and immediate and so requires immediate, interim measures – namely the restoration of real time access for the blocked providers.”
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About MOW
The Movement for an Open Web is an advocacy group fighting to protect the Internet from attempts by the Tech Platforms to enclose it in their walled gardens.
Companies such as Google and Apple are attempting to rewrite core, open and interoperable standards in areas such as advertising, payments and identity for their own advantage. They want to stop technical interoperability between businesses so that they can dominate the internet value chain. MOW exists to prevent them from achieving their aims.
MOW works with regulators, lawmakers and standards bodies to help create a fair and competitive digital market that is not dominated by the platforms. This is achieved by raising awareness of the issues, influencing legislation and regulation and ensuring that web standards are developed for all players and not just the biggest.
Founded in 2020, MOW has so far had a significant impact on the global debate in this area. It was the initial complainant in both the CMA’s investigation into Google’s Privacy Sandbox, which resulted in the project’s closure, and in the European Commission’s Statement of Objections to Google’s dominance of the advertising technology industry, which resulted in a $3bn fine against Google. MOW were also an initial complainant to the CMA about Google’s AI Overviews, which resulted in Conduct Requirements being imposed against Google in June 2026.
The platforms have tried to hide their anti-competitive actions behind claims of consumer privacy. However, the route to greater privacy is through effective competition, not the imposition of flawed solutions by monopolists.