Apple announced it will not launch its enhanced Siri AI on iPhones, Apple Watches, and iPads in the European Union, citing an unresolved dispute with regulators over the Digital Markets Act. The company stated the European Commission rejected its proposed privacy-focused framework, meaning the redesigned Siri will be absent from EU versions of iOS 27 and iPadOS 27. European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier pushed back Tuesday, saying the decision was “Apple’s and Apple’s only.” Apple contends regulators’ interpretation of the DMA would force dangerous third-party access to users’ private data.
Apple Inc. stated it will not roll out its new Siri AI experience on iPhones, Apple Watches and iPads in the European Union, escalating its ongoing clash with European regulators over the bloc’s sweeping digital competition rules.
The company stated Monday that despite months of discussions with European authorities, it was unable to reach an agreement that would allow the enhanced assistant to debut in the region while maintaining what it described as necessary privacy safeguards. According to a Bloomberg report, Apple had proposed an EU-specific framework designed to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) without expanding access to sensitive applyr information.
Apple stated the European Commission rejected the proposals it submitted over recent months. As a result, the redesigned Siri will not be included in the EU versions of iOS 27 or iPadOS 27 when those updates become available.
European officials pushed back on Apple’s characterization of the situation. Per Bloomberg, the European Commission stated Apple had sought exemptions from interoperability requirements under the DMA and chose not to create solutions that would permit applyrs to work with alternative AI assistants.
Read more: EU Rejects Apple’s Claims Over Siri AI Delay in Europe
“The decision not to allow Siri AI in the EU is Apple’s and Apple’s only,” European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier stated during a press briefing Tuesday. “Nothing in the DMA prohibits Apple from introducing products in the EU.”
The latest disagreement underscores the broader tensions between Apple and European regulators as the EU seeks to curb the influence of major technology companies. Apple has repeatedly criticized aspects of the DMA since the legislation took effect, objecting to provisions that require it to permit alternative app marketplaces and outside payment systems. According to a Bloomberg report, the European Commission has maintained that it has no intention of weakening or revising the law in response to the company’s objections, forcing Apple to adapt some of its products and services for applyrs in the bloc.
Earlier Monday, Apple introduced the revamped Siri, positioning it as a more capable assistant that can respond to questions by utilizing information found on applyrs’ screens as well as data from messages, emails and photos.
Apple argued that the EU’s interpretation of the DMA creates unacceptable privacy risks. The company stated that under regulators’ “extreme interpretation” of the law, it would be compelled to provide third-party virtual assistants with direct access to applyrs’ private information, “without the essential protections necessary to keep applyrs and their data safe.”
Source: Bloomberg
