Apple has delayed the launch of its Apple Intelligence AI features in the EU, citing security and privacy concerns in complying with EU regulations. Digital Markets Act.
But Apple’s latest AI efforts raise a variety of questions: Why did the iPhone maker delay introducing Apple Intelligence in such a big market, are the privacy and security concerns justified, and what other factors drove the decision?
Apple is a security and … [+]
what happened?
June 21st, Bloomberg The iPhone maker is reportedly delaying iPhone Mirroring, SharePlay screen sharing enhancements, and Apple Intelligence AI features in the EU until 2025. According to an Apple statement, the reason is that DMA rules on interoperability compromise the security and privacy of the iPhone.
The AI features will be available on the iPhone 15 and new devices due to launch in the coming months, due to arrive this fall in the U.S. “We are concerned that the DMA’s interoperability requirements may force us to compromise the integrity of our products in ways that put users’ privacy and data security at risk,” Apple said.
Wait, this sounds familiar…..
Sound familiar? Yes, you’re right. Earlier this year, Apple complained that EU DMA rules, which opened up the App Store to sideloading for the first time, were a risk to privacy and security. The iPhone maker also disabled Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) in the EU, which developers complained about. Ultimately, the EU said Apple’s handling of PWAs didn’t violate DMA rules, and Apple reversed its decision.
Why did Apple back out its AI features in the EU?
Apple has said that interoperability with other products puts iPhone users at risk. Apple’s concerns about interoperability rules imposed by the DMA “seem legitimate,” security researcher Tommy Mysk said. “It’s clear that Apple Intelligence will favor Apple products. We expect to see increased integration with Apple Music, for example.”
Miske said there is a risk that the DMA could force Apple to allow similar integrations with other music services such as Spotify, which could pose a risk because handing responsibility to other companies would mean Apple losing control over security.
The same goes for iPhone mirroring: “DMA could force Apple to support Windows, and it could stipulate that iPhone users who use Windows should also be able to use iPhone mirroring on their PCs,” Mysk says.
But what about data protection regulations?
Other tech giants, including Meta and Google, have delayed the launch of AI products in the EU, arguing that the GDPR data protection regulation does not allow the level of functionality they require. AI modes require huge amounts of data to operate, which could violate strict EU data protection rules. Will Apple’s AI products face similar scrutiny?
The iPhone maker has highlighted the privacy and security credentials of its AI products, saying its Private Cloud Computing (PCC) data processing model is unmatched.
But still, AI tools are “tricky” when it comes to data privacy, Musk said. “Google and X delayed releasing their AI tools in the EU, so we expected Apple to be cautious as well,” Musk said. “Generative AI technology requires not just training data, but also data from users to train on. GDPR will raise a lot of questions, especially around the right to be forgotten.”
And, of course, Apple has partnered with OpenAI to build ChatGPT functionality into iPhones, which has raised concerns about data privacy.
I’ve reached out to Apple for comment and will update this article if I hear back from the iPhone maker.
Many will be disappointed by the delay, especially those in the EU who want to upgrade their iPhones to take advantage of the new features. Apple will certainly guarantee access to these features, but the iPhone maker needs to make sure it stays ahead of competitors on security and privacy. After all, that’s Apple’s promise in AI and what it says is its unique selling point.