Apple has decided to delay the launch of Apple Intelligence, iPhone Mirroring, and SharePlay Screen Sharing in the European Union due to concerns about regulations in the Digital Markets Act (DMA), as reported by various media outlets.
Apple Intelligence is an upgraded artificial intelligence system developed by Apple. According to a spokesperson from Apple, it consists of advanced language and diffusion models, as well as an on-device semantic index that works across different apps to identify and analyze data. This upgrade has a significant impact on the Siri voice assistant and other related functions.
The European Union has set expectations for major tech companies, often referred to as Big Tech, to adhere to certain standards of conduct. iPhone mirroring allows users to view and control their iPhones from their Mac computers, while SharePlay Screen Sharing enables FaceTime users to take control of others’ devices during a conversation. Fred Sainz, the senior director of corporate communications at Apple, stated to The Verge that the decision to withhold these features in the EU is in compliance with the regulations outlined in the Digital Markets Act.
In addition to Apple, the EU has identified five other corporations, namely Alphabet, Amazon, ByteDance, Meta, and Microsoft, as “gatekeepers” due to their dominant positions in their respective markets. These gatekeepers are responsible for 22 core platform services, according to EU lawmakers. As gatekeepers, they are subject to the regulations of the Digital Markets Act, which became effective in May 2023.
The rules imposed on these gatekeepers cover various aspects, including their interactions with third parties, users’ control over their data, and businesses’ rights to verify advertising hosted on their platforms. Violations of these rules can result in penalties of up to 10% of the company’s total worldwide annual turnover, or up to 20% for repeated offenses, along with additional remedies. Apple is currently under investigation for its business practices in the EU.
The European Union consists of 27 member states and has a population of 448.4 million people. Cointelegraph reached out to Apple’s press department and Fred Sainz for confirmation and further details but has not yet received a response.
Source: M.G. Siegler
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