The European Union (EU) is apparently “unhappy” with Apple’s decision to delay the rollout of its recently announced Apple Intelligence feature for iPhone users in the region. In a statement during the Forum Europe event, Margrethe Vestager, president of the European Commission (the EU’s competition regulator), suggested that the Cupertino tech giant’s latest decision shows how anti-competitive the company is being.
Last week, Apple cited “regulatory uncertainty” and “interoperability requirements” under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) as reasons for delaying the rollout of AI features for iPhones in the EU. The company also announced that the rollout of other features, including iPhone Mirroring (displaying your phone’s screen on a Mac) and upgrades to SharePlay screen sharing, would also be delayed in the EU.
Separately, the iPhone maker became the first company to be fined for not complying with DMA rules.
What the European Commission President said about Apple’s decision
At the event, Vestager was asked how she interpreted Apple’s delay in releasing its Apple Intelligence features in the EU, to which she replied: “Apple has said that they will not release new AI-enabled features in the IRS environment. [the EU]They’re saying they won’t do that because they have a European obligation, which is to stay open to competition. It’s like a shortened version of the DMA. I think it’s very interesting that they’re saying they’re going to put AI in places where they don’t have an obligation to enable competition. I think that’s the most astonishing public declaration that they 100% understand that this is another way to kill competition where they’re already based.”
You can watch the full video here: (cue 1.16.35)
Forum Europe | Ms Vestager, Vice-President of the EU Commission for the Digital Age and Competition Commissioner
Apple faces EU fines under the DMA
Earlier this week, the EU accused Apple of violating the new Digital Markets Act (DMA), the first time the law has been applied against a major tech company.
The EU announced that its complaint focuses on Apple’s App Store practices, specifically accusing the company of unfairly restricting app developers from informing users about cheaper purchasing options outside the App Store.
The practice, known as “steering,” is prohibited under the DMA, which aims to increase competition in the technology industry.
