Apple is playing a dangerous game with the European Union. Between delayed innovations and ambiguous communication, the Apple firm seems to want to make the EU the big bad guy of history.
What if your brand new iPhone 16 is less intelligent than that of your American cousin? This is the scenario that Apple seems to promise us for Europe in 2024.
But behind this cringe-inducing announcement lies a much more complex fool’s game between the tech giant and the European Union.
Because Apple has just dropped a little bombshell: European users will have to wait to take advantage of the latest innovations announced during WWDC 2024, in particular “ Apple Intelligence“.
The reason given? The “regulatory uncertainties created by the EU Digital Markets Act”. A communication stunt which raises more questions than it answers.
The EU, this convenient scapegoat
By pointing the finger at European regulations and particularly the DMA, Apple is playing a dangerous game. The company seems to want to transform the EU into an enemy of innovation, a brake on technological progress.
A strategy that flirts dangerously with technological populism. But is it really the EU that is blocking, or Apple that is dragging its feet in the face of regulations that threaten its economic model?
What Apple fails to specify is that these famous AI features are only planned in limited beta version for the end of the summer, even in the United States. The timetable beyond remains unclear. By omitting these details, Apple creates the illusion of a technologically backward Europe, a victim of its own bureaucracy.
A well-orchestrated diversion
Apple’s announcement comes a few days before the publication of the preliminary results of the European Commission’s investigation into its practices.
Coincidence? Not so sure. By focusing attention on a delayed feature, Apple is cleverly diverting its gaze from the potential sanctions that await it for non-compliance with antitrust rules.
Remember that the EU has succeeded in imposing on Apple some of the biggest concessions in its history: opening of iOS to alternative stores, introduction of USB-C, opening of Apple Pay… Changes that are shaking up Apple’s economic model. ‘Apple, accustomed to maintaining total control over its ecosystem.
The figures that put things into perspective
Before we cry about the fate of Apple, let’s recall some figures: in 2023, the company earned a net profit of $39.9 billion, largely surpassing its competitors like Microsoft or Google. Enough to put into perspective the “difficulties” encountered in adapting its innovations to the European market.
By playing this victimization card, Apple is taking a risk. If the company succeeds in the short term in rallying part of public opinion and its fans, in the long term it exposes itself to criticism over its lack of transparency and its desire to circumvent regulations. And then, above all, she risks a very steep fine.