Apple won’t be making its recently announced AI features available in Europe, a decision European Commission Vice-President Margrethe Vestager on Thursday slammed for being proof of the tech giant’s alleged anticompetitive behaviour (via Euractiv).
Earlier this month at WWDC 2024, Apple announced a host of new AI-powered features coming to its platforms under the umbrella of “Apple Intelligence.” Apple is expected to start rolling out Apple Intelligence features to the public with iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia later this year.
However, the company later announced that the rollout of Apple Intelligence would skip Europe. According to Apple, the interoperability requirements the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) would impose on Apple Intelligence features pose a threat to user privacy and security.
While Apple Intelligence is expected to offer a more chatbot-like experience with Siri and even feature ChatGPT integration, the personal intelligence system won’t come with a standalone chatbot of its own.
Instead, users will be able to access Apple’s AI features through other apps and services like Siri, Writing Tools, Mail, Photos, and more. In the eyes of the European Commission, a lack of interoperability with non-Apple apps could be seen as anti-competitive behaviour.
Apple’s decision not to release its homemade AI features in Europe is a “stunning, open declaration that they know 100% that this is another way of disabling competition where they have a stronghold already,” Margrethe Vestager, who serves as the EU’s Commissioner for Competition, said during a Forum Europa event.
The DMA is landmark legislation designed to compel large companies designated as “gatekeepers” to open up their businesses and platforms to competition if they want to continue operating in Europe. Apple is classified as one of these gatekeepers under the DMA’s terms, leading to the European Commission bearing down on the tech giant on several fronts.
Earlier this week, Apple became the first company to be formally charged under the DMA’s rules after the European Commission concluded that the App Store’s regulations don’t satisfy the legislation’s steering requirements. Back in January, Apple announced plans to allow sideloading and third-party app markets on its platforms to comply with the DMA.
Failure to adhere to the DMA’s rules could saddle Apple (and other gatekeepers) with fines of up to 10% of global annual revenue. What’s more, repeat offences could double that percentage.
Apple Intelligence also won’t be available at launch in China, where regulations around generative AI are much stricter.
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I"m pretty sure that Margrethe Vestager is not an expert on digital security. Apple is well within their rights to decide which services are offered where. I wonder if the EU is going to try to require them to introduce AI to Europe now…
No they don’t dispute Apples right to withhold features. Remember that in positions like this the two opposing parties see things from different perspectives. The EU thinks that the reason Apple AI is being withheld is that Apple knows its implementation would be anticompetitive under EU law.
In any case, if Apple want to compete with Android in the EU they might have to at least match it on future “AI” features eventually. What’s happening right now is really just Apple trying to fight the DMA and prevent it “spreading“, but they’re in trouble because a number of countries around the world are already introducing their own DMAs.
Although I don't know why Apple does such stupid things as holding onto the lightning connector until forced to change to USB-C, I do also think that the EU is guilty of sticking their nose into things far too many times. I don't feel sorry for the very wealthy owners of Spotify and Epic games who complain bitterly about Apple's commissions. They made out quite well. If Europeans are so wronged by Apple and Google, they can go use their phones with the snake game on the Symbian operating system. Apple should be required to comply with consumer safety and radio regulatory standards, comply with privacy legislation and supply a proper warranty. If people don't want to buy into the Apple ecosystem, they can buy something else.
Apple and Google should just charge EU consumers an extra $50 for iPhones or Android phones. If Vestager wants to protect third party developers so much, so be it. Let the EU consumers pick up the tab. …. and maybe even throw in more ads on the first party apps on the phones and ask the EU consumer to cough up another $25 to get rid of the ads. One way or other, the development costs for the smartphones will be subsidized. It's either the EU consumer or the developer that will foot the bill. Vestager will not be able to have the cake and eat it too. She's fighting a losing battle based on flimsy legal arguments.
How is deciding not to compete in EU anticompetitive?
EU is the death of innovation and technological excellence.
You clearly struggle to understand basic things.
Apple is withholding features because they might not respect the DMA. It’s Apple saying this.
The DMA allows for better competition for the consumers, so it’s fair to say that Apple does not release features because they know they can be anticompetitive.
Maybe it’s a language barrier. I’ll ask again, how is deciding not to compete in EU anticompetitive?
Read it slowly this time. Maybe ask a grownup to read it for you.