In a statement submitted to the press, including the Wall Street Journal, Apple said that its new AI service, which features enhanced text and image editing, a reworked Siri digital assistant, and other features, will be subject to EU Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations that will prevent certain functionality, confirming that it will likely not gain functionality.

Blocked features could include not only Apple Intelligence, but also iPhone Mirroring and SharePlay Screen Sharing, which were announced as part of iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia. However, it is currently unclear why these would be in conflict with EU regulations.

Apple's statement said that following the DMA's guidance when introducing new software could "force us to compromise the integrity of our products in ways that endanger user privacy and data security." Later, Apple added that "we are strongly motivated to make these technologies available to all users," and said that it appears that discussions with the EU are already underway to find a way out of the impasse. [In response, the European Commission (the EU's administrative body) said that Apple and companies like it "are welcome to offer their services in Europe, provided they comply with our rules aimed at ensuring fair competition."

The DMA is a user-focused pro-competition law that prevents high-tech companies, especially Apple and five other major "gatekeeper" companies, from abusing their power to lock customers into certain hardware and software. This is the primary reason why Apple added a USB-C charging port to the iPhone 15 series last year, and why iPhones in the EU can now download apps from sources other than the App Store.

Apple has already publicly stated that it has security concerns about leaving its system open in this way. Apple's actions since the DMA went into effect earlier this year have resulted in the company being investigated for not complying with E.U. regulations.

Since the current wave of AI was not yet in place when the DMA was drafted, perhaps this will be an opportunity for the E.U. to amend the law so that Europeans can continue to use the latest features as they do in other parts of the world. Likewise, the E.U. could make its own point, which would create problems for Apple in one of its key markets.

We should see Apple Intelligence arrive this fall, but only for certain devices and only if they are set to American English. So even if DMA had not been introduced, a version of Apple's new AI feature for speakers of French, German, Spanish, etc. might not have been ready for launch. However, it would be a real shame to lock out other non-AI features, so fingers crossed that a solution can be found for our European readers.