Apple may have to postpone some new features it plans to offer to users in the European Union. These features include Apple Intelligence, iPhone Mirroring, and SharePlay screen sharing. The reason for this situation is the new regulations introduced within the scope of the European Union’s Digital Market Act (DMA). According to Bloomberg, these regulations may affect Apple’s plans.
Apple Intelligence includes a wide range of features that encompass the company’s innovative AI-based tools. Functions such as improvements to Siri, Genmoji, notification management, creating scenarios in different applications and text creation are among the opportunities offered by Apple Intelligence. These features aim to make the daily lives of Apple users more efficient. However, it seems difficult to make these features available this year due to regulations in the European Union.
Digital Market Act and Apple’s concerns
The Digital Market Act (DMA) includes a set of strict regulations designed to prevent anti-competitive behavior by major online platforms. Apple states that offering some features in Europe may pose a risk to user security and data privacy due to the new obligations brought by these laws. Apple representative Fred Sainz said in a statement to The Verge that Apple will not be able to make some features available in the European Union this year due to the uncertainties brought by the DMA.
Sainz said in his statement: “Two weeks ago, we announced hundreds of new features that we plan to offer to our users worldwide. However, due to the regulatory uncertainties brought about by the Digital Market Act, we do not think we will be able to offer three features such as iPhone Mirroring, SharePlay screen sharing and Apple Intelligence to our users in the European Union this year.”
Apple states that it is trying to find a solution to these problems in cooperation with the European Commission. The company aims not to compromise user security and data privacy while complying with the regulations imposed by the DMA. In this context, the results of the ongoing negotiations between Apple and the European Commission are eagerly awaited.
The European Union’s response
In response to Apple’s statement, European Union spokesman Thomas Regnier stated that the EU is a large market with 450 million potential users and is always open for business. Regnier said: “All companies that want to provide services in the European internal market must comply with our rules to ensure fair competition. “Our doors are always open, but the rules must be followed,” he said.
Apple’s decision to delay new features in the European Union may cause disappointment among users. However, the company’s sensitivity to security and privacy issues stands out as the main reason behind this decision. When Apple will be able to make these features available will depend on the outcome of the negotiations with the European Commission. In summary, Apple’s users in Europe may have to wait a little longer to see these innovations.