Apple Intelligence Features Not Coming to European Union at Launch Due to DMA

[turbineseaplane]

So, how is an operating system feature the same as a digital market? By this contrived logic the 100% safest thing to do would be to leave the EU.

The only way this would make sense would be if Apple Intelligence was going to be a premium service that users had to pay for. So far, there's been no indication of that.

I kind of hope they fully paywall it -- so I can fully avoid all of it

 

[swiftapplefan]

This cracks me up; the idea of EU citizens cowering from the Evil Apple and begging Margrethe Vestager to save them. It's so silly, but if EU citizens are that weak, that vulnerable, I guess that's the way it is.

Let’s use generative playground to generate that image!

 

[gavroche]

Maybe. Though Margrethe Vestager has built her entire career on being spiteful toward American tech companies so I'd argue it's just desserts.

That being said, I think your DMA analysis is wrong. I almost guarantee Vestager would find that Apple only allowing ChatGPT integration runs afoul of the DMA's equal-access provisions. And even if not, the DMA is both very complicated and incredibly vague, and the EC has proven to be quite arbitrary and capricious in its interpretation of the rules, so I don't blame Apple at all for taking extra time for legal review.

Thank you for having an intelligent comment. Apple is a large publicly traded company… they can not do anything to be ‘spiteful’ or ‘punish the EU.’ They have a Board of Directors with a duty to maximize shareholder value. The simple answer here is that the EU has created a very complicated minefield to navigate… and it is going to require a lot of care to try to balance Apples goal of security and privacy with compliance.

 

[Timo_Existencia]

At this point this is extortion. They hope the EU will back down if users complain enough. There‘s literally no reason for this.

You don't see the irony? The EU is threatening Apple with billions of dollars in fines. THAT's extortion.

 

[Kylo83]

Glad for brexit, I would hate to not get that feature iPhone mirroring

 

[turbineseaplane]

Man does this topic trigger Gruber

He is all over social media with what amount to "GO USA!" and "YAY APPLE" replies to anything about this

 

[NT1440]

I believe things like Handoff and Continuity are subject to the DMA and Apple is required to allow access if/when developers request it. But the fact you're even asking the question kinda proves the point—the DMA is hopelessly vague and incoherent.

It’s almost like they didn’t consult any actual engineering experts and instead only consulted on technical matters with tech-illiterate managers and executives….

 

[TechnoMonk]

You don't see the irony? The EU is threatening Apple with billions of dollars in fines. THAT's extortion.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Apple releases a cheaper Eu only iphone. A phone that would probably cost 300 in US will be sold in EU for 899 Euros.

 

[NT1440]

Man does this topic trigger Gruber

He is all over social media with what amount to "GO USA!" and "YAY APPLE" replies to anything about this

His geopolitical takes are garbage anyway.

 

[Timo_Existencia]

You know what would be funny? If the EU actually came out with a statement that said something like “Actually we do not deem Apple Intelligence and IPhone Mirroring unconstitutional.”. What would Apple do then?

This would simply prove the entire point of the completely arbitrary nature of the DMA.

 

[TechnoMonk]

You don't see the irony? The EU is threatening Apple with billions of dollars in fines. THAT's extortion.

Its called EU mafia for a reason.

 

[klasma]

Less capable devices being a good thing is an argument only people blinded by irrational hatred could make unironically

You mean, like people who unironically argue that devices being limited by Apple’s app restrictions is a good thing?

 

[Iconoclysm]

You mean, like people who unironically argue that devices being limited by Apple’s app restrictions is a good thing?

So you notice the hypocrisy then?

 

[Timo_Existencia]

You mean, like people who unironically argue that devices being limited by Apple’s app restrictions is a good thing?

That you see the progress that Apple has contributed to the world through the iPhone and mobile apps as "limiting" ...that you see the billions of dollars generated by the Apple IOS to small developers as "limiting...that you see the productivity and creativity generated by Apple devices as limiting...

...that you think Margrethe Vestager and the EU commission are the one's providing you value...

All this lets me know that you and I have a very different view of the state of the world and the way in which consumer freedoms and benefits are created.

No irony needed.

 

[ProbablyDylan]

DMA has lot more than OS feature, basically arbitrary definition of making APIS and features available to others. Tomorrow a company can go to EU and demand same level of access as Apple to its own device and OS. Why would Apple bother to go through this process. It’s basic common sense and risk management. Roll out safe features, and leave the non EU cutting edge for other countries.

You're not really addressing my point. Can you show me where, in the text of the Digital Markets Act, it specifies that any and all operating system features need to be replaceable with a competitor's?

 

[Timo_Existencia]

You're not really addressing my point. Can you show me where, in the text of the Digital Markets Act, it specifies that any and all operating system features need to be replaceable with a competitor's?

If I'm not mistaken...haven't you been one of the people arguing that Apple must follow "the spirit of the law" and not the text of the law?

 

[Timpetus]

If this is the reason then it’s actually a good thing, advancing the goal of leveling competition. Either Apple devices will become less attractive because they’re missing features the competition has, or if they open it up third-party app developers will be able to compete more fairly with Apple’s first-party apps.

Leveling competition is a horrible thing to do, though. It means destroying the incentive to invent new things because you'll be forced to give them away to your competition. Why should I invent anything if it is illegal for it to give me a competitive advantage?

 

[turbineseaplane]

Less capable devices being a good thing is an argument only people blinded by irrational hatred could make unironically

You're describing iOS devices under the draconian restrictions of Apple and the "walled garden"

 

[Timo_Existencia]

Leveling competition is a horrible thing to do, though. It means destroying the incentive to invent new things because you'll be forced to give them away to your competition. Why should I invent anything if it is illegal for it to give me a competitive advantage?

So much this.

 

[tehabe]

Politician shouldn’t be deciding what an OS can or can’t do.

They don't.

 

[deathcab]

Just set your iPhone region to something else.

I actually think you may be on to something with this.

I could easily see a world where Apple makes it extremely easy / arbitrary for EU users to change the device "region" to somewhere that isn't subject to the DMA (or similar laws -- particularly dealing with third-party app stores), and then geofencing all meaningful updates, improvements, and features to those other regions on a go-forward basis.

EU users would then be able to choose to get the bare minimum the DMA requires (the "EU Experience"), or switch to a different region to get the experience everyone else has. Apple would be in compliance with the technical requirements of the DMA (assuming they ever get there), and EU users would have the ability to choose whether they want that experience or not by "tricking" (wink wink, nod nod) Apple into thinking they are in a different region.

 

[switz]

My wife (born in the UK to Irish born parents) and I have traveled the world which includes many of the European countries. The EU regulators, in my opinion, are trying to justify their existence and due to their own miss management have devised a scheme to literally steal money from successful businesses as fines for their rules that can be changed on the fly.

At some point, the cost of doing business there will exceed the expected revenue and many prudent companies will leave that market. The lack of recent significant technological advancement there in cell communications equipment may have unintended consequences......

 

[ProbablyDylan]

If I'm not mistaken...haven't you been one of the people arguing that Apple must follow "the spirit of the law" and not the text of the law?

Yes. And I'm in favor of alternative app marketplaces. The difference is that this is an operating system feature.

The other poster's argument would be akin to requiring a user-facing option to replace the Cut-Copy-Paste feature with a 3rd party alternative. Unless Apple intends to charge money to use these features, this is in the same vein as Cut-Copy-Paste or the screenshot editing window.

 

[Paddle1]

Doesn't Apple Intelligence only work in US English anyway? That means it will be US only... mayyybe Canada.

 

[turbineseaplane]

for their rules that can be changed on the fly.

All rules, anywhere in the world, can be "changed on the fly"

That's called evolving with societal and technological changes

Btw: Apple has put themselves in this peril by refusing to even slightly self regulate their actions, for years and years now.