This situation may change in the future.

Earlier this month, Apple held its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) where they introduced Apple Intelligence, a generative AI toolkit for iPhone, iPad, and Mac computers featuring many impressive new capabilities.

Unfortunately, almost half a billion people won’t be able to experience these features, at least for now. A Bloomberg report today revealed that Apple will not be launching Apple Intelligence in the European Union anytime soon.

The primary reason for this is the Digital Markets Act (DMA) in the EU. This regulation has already forced Apple to make several policy changes, such as switching iPhones to USB-C, allowing third-party app stores, and enabling developers to use third-party payment systems to avoid Apple’s previously mandatory 30% commission.

Apple anticipated that the DMA would interfere with their Apple Intelligence plans, so they decided to delay the launch in the EU. The company stated, “We are worried that the interoperability requirements of the DMA might require us to compromise on product integrity, potentially putting user privacy and data security at risk.”

In a separate statement to the Financial Times, Apple emphasized that this will not be a permanent policy:

“Because of the regulatory uncertainties introduced by the Digital Markets Act, we do not anticipate being able to implement three of these new features to our EU users this year.”

Apple Intelligence is likely another strategy to keep users within their ecosystem. Apple might be worried that complying with the DMA would require them to make Apple Intelligence compatible with other ecosystems, such as Android.

Considering the costs associated with Apple Intelligence (some features will require Apple’s remote data centers), the return on investment might not justify offering these features to EU citizens if the company cannot ensure those users remain within the broader Apple ecosystem.

Unfortunately, this restriction in the EU extends beyond AI features under the Apple Intelligence umbrella. Two other features introduced at WWDC — iPhone Mirroring and SharePlay Screen Sharing — also appear to be excluded from the EU. The specific aspects of these features that may be impacted by the DMA are currently unclear.