Apple has warned that more of its upcoming software features will not be available in the European Union due to the requirements of the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The company says the law’s demand for wider hardware compatibility raises privacy risks it cannot solve quickly.
Why Apple is holding back features
In its official response to the European Union’s consultation on the DMA, Apple confirmed that it has withheld iPhone Mirroring and AirPods Live Translation from EU customers. Both rely on sensitive user data, and the company argues it cannot extend them securely to non-Apple hardware as the DMA requires.
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Apple explained that iPhone Mirroring, which allows users to control their iPhone from a Mac, exposes notifications, messages, and personal content. Engineers have not found a way to make the feature work with third-party devices without putting that data at risk. Live Translation for AirPods, powered by Apple Intelligence, is designed to process conversations entirely on-device to keep them private. Extending this function to other hardware, Apple says, could expose private conversations to outside developers.
Other delayed features
The company also pointed to smaller but useful features, including Visited Places and Preferred Routes in Apple Maps, which remain unavailable in the EU. Both are designed to store location data only on the device. Apple insists that sharing this information with other developers, as required by the DMA, would expose user locations in ways it considers unacceptable.
According to Apple, the complexity of building privacy protections into its own products is already significant. Extending these safeguards to competitor hardware multiplies the difficulty, making delays unavoidable.
What Apple told regulators
This position was outlined in Apple’s submission to the EU consultation, reported by 9to5Mac. The company said that until it resolves these engineering challenges, it has no choice but to delay features for European users. Apple acknowledged that regulators have so far rejected all of its proposals for compliance.
So far, no hardware launch has been affected. Apple told us it does not expect devices to be delayed in the EU but admitted it cannot completely rule out the possibility as the rules continue to tighten.
Apple challenges the DMA
Beyond feature delays, Apple argues that the DMA undermines innovation and harms consumers. It claims the law leaves EU users with fewer choices because delayed features make iPhones less capable than those sold elsewhere. It also says forcing Apple to make technologies work on rival devices reduces differentiation between platforms, making iOS feel more like Android.
The company further argues that the DMA creates unfair competition because it singles out Apple while leaving rival smartphone makers, such as Samsung and Chinese brands, largely unaffected. In Apple’s view, the legislation punishes a company that built its own ecosystem and set high standards for security and privacy.
Apple has called for the DMA to be repealed or substantially revised, saying the law is not delivering its intended benefits to consumers.
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