Malicious compliance

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Malicious compliance is an action where one complies with a request or demand, but in such a way that it follows the wording, but not the spirit or intent of the mandate.

Applied to consumer rights, this means a manufacturer or brand complies with regulations in word, but not in spirit, thus rendering the regulation ineffective.

Some common practices include making it intentionally difficult for a consumer to exercise their rights through use of dark patterns, obstacles such requiring communication by letter, imposing fees, requiring registration and many more.

Prominent Examples

• Apple: After being required by the EU to open up their devices to apps sold outside the Apple App Store, the company created a multitude of hurdles, fees and complications to make it as difficult as possible for developers to actually do this, including a requirement that every independently distributed app still be approved by Apple and fees be paid by the developer.
• Apple: After the EU mandated USB-C as a charging port for all phones, Apple explored various ways to still require cable and accessory manufacturers to go through their costly Made for iPhone certification programmes and require consumers to still buy additional cables and accessories.
• Other examples of malicious compliance are related to the willingness of companies to follow right to repair laws. Most notably of these companies are Apple, Samsung, and John Deere.