Apple may be ignoring its European customer base when it rolls out its Intelligence AI suite on iOS and macOS, it points to the DMA.

Apple Intelligence was the rabbit that the phone and computer specialist pulled out of its hat during WWDC. The AI ​​features themselves are not new, but Apple integrates everything neatly, in a way that the competition hasn’t even thought of. However, it seems that Apple has presented its European customers with a carrot with the announcement of Apple Intelligence.

According to Bloomberg, Apple Intelligence will not be part of iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and MacOS Sequoia right away. Apple is not interested in bringing the intelligence suite into compliance with the Digital Markets Act. European legislation sees Apple as a gatekeeper, meaning the company must comply with stricter rules.

DMA’s guilt

One of these rules states that Apple cannot close its platforms to outside parties. According to Apple’s arguments, this would lead to potentially harmful “tradeoffs” for users’ security and privacy. For the same reasons, Apple prefers not to bring the mirroring feature between iPhones and MacBooks, as well as screen sharing in SharePlay, to Europe. A European Union spokesperson told The Verge that there is no problem with Apple Intelligence as long as Apple abides by the rules.

Apple has not hesitated to express its dissatisfaction with the DMA. In March, the company was forced to make reluctant concessions on the App Store, including allowing sideloading of applications. The decision not to bring Apple Intelligence to Europe seems above all to be a way of making a statement, even if Apple ignores hundreds of millions of users.

Meta likes to use a similar strategy. The company is putting its AI plans in Europe on hold because it is no longer allowed to shamelessly collect user data. It is no coincidence that Apple and Meta are facing a lawsuit from the EU.