EU Blocks Rollout Of Apple’s AI Features

Apple will delay the launch of three new artificial intelligence features in Europe because of tougher EU tech regulations that require the giant to make its products and services compatible with those of competitors.

KEY FACTS

On Friday, the company announced that three of the new AI features — Phone Mirroring, SharePlay screen-sharing enhancements and Apple Intelligence (one of the long-awaited innovations that work with powerful generative models) — won’t be rolling out to EU users this year due to regulatory uncertainty related to the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA), reported by the Reuters agency.

IMPORTANT QUOTE

“Specifically, we are concerned that the interoperability requirements under the DMA may force us to compromise the integrity of our products in a way that threatens user privacy and data security. “We are committed to cooperating with the European Commission to find a solution that allows us to provide these features to our customers in the EU without jeopardizing their safety,” Apple said in an email.

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CONTRA

The EU is an attractive market with 450 million potential consumers and has always been open for business for any company that wants to provide services to the European internal market. So-called “gatekeeper” companies are welcome to offer their services in Europe, provided they comply with our rules aimed at ensuring fair competition,” said EU spokesman Thomas Rainier, quoted by The Verge, on the occasion of Apple’s statement.

KEY STORY

The news comes after the iPhone maker unveiled its plans for the wider integration of artificial intelligence into Apple products.

However, the company is facing problems because of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which came into force in March and provides for strict rules in the world of technology in the territory of the European Union. According to strict technology rules, iOS – the company’s operating system – has been designated as a so-called “gatekeeper”, which could force the tech giant to change its way of working in the region.

For months, Apple and Brussels have been embroiled in a regulatory battle over compliance, after the EU launched a probe in March into whether the company was still undermining competition.

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Only 1% Of Cyprus Farms Use Precision Farming Technologies

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

July 24, 2026

Cyprus remains one of the European Union’s least digitised agricultural economies, with just 1% of farms using precision farming technologies in 2023, according to Eurostat.

The findings come as the EU continues to encourage the adoption of digital tools aimed at improving agricultural productivity, efficiency and sustainability.

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Internet Access Expands, But Digital Uptake Lags

Internet access has improved across the bloc, although adoption remains uneven. Eurostat found that 43% of EU farms had internet access in 2023, with northern and central European countries leading the way.

Denmark, Germany, Slovakia, Latvia, the Czech Republic and Austria all reported internet access rates above 90%.

Greater connectivity, however, has not translated into widespread digital adoption. Farm management information systems, which help farmers manage day-to-day operations, were used by only about 11% of EU farms. France was a notable exception, with around 60% of farms using the technology.

Precision Farming Concentrated In Larger Operations

Robotics adoption also remained relatively limited, with only about 7% of EU farms using robotic technologies. Overall, around 18% of farms with utilised agricultural area employed at least one precision farming technology or practice in 2023.

These included robotics for plant protection, band spraying, variable-rate application, precision crop monitoring and soil analysis. Despite representing fewer than one in five farms, these holdings accounted for around 44% of the EU’s utilised agricultural area.

The figures suggest that precision farming remains concentrated among larger agricultural businesses, where investment in digital technologies is typically easier to support.

Cyprus Lags Behind EU Leaders

Luxembourg, Finland and Estonia recorded the highest shares of utilised agricultural area managed by farms using precision farming technologies, each exceeding 75%.

At the other end of the ranking, Cyprus recorded just 1%, while Greece and Romania reported between 10% and 15%. The results indicate that Cyprus remains at an early stage of digital adoption in agriculture, even as precision farming becomes more widespread across parts of the European Union.

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