EU rejects Apple’s bid to exempt Siri AI from DMA rules

Apple Blames EU Digital Markets Act for Delayed Siri AI Rollout; Brussels Fires Back

Apple and the European Commission are locked in a public standoff over the company’s decision not to launch its revamped Siri AI assistant on iPhones and iPads in the European Union, with each side blaming the other for the delay.

Apple Points to DMA Restrictions

In a statement released Monday, Apple said it would not be able to ship Siri AI in the EU with the release of iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 later this year, citing the bloc’s Digital Markets Act and its interoperability requirements. The company said it had proposed solutions over recent months — including a new layer called “Trusted System Agent” to coordinate data access for third-party virtual assistants — but that EU regulators “did not accept any of Apple’s proposed solutions to bring Siri AI to the EU while safely supporting other virtual assistants”.apple

Apple said there is “currently no timeline” for Siri AI’s availability on iPhones and iPads in the EU, though it noted the feature would still be accessible on macOS 27 and visionOS 27.apple

EU Commission Rejects Apple’s Framing

The European Commission responded forcefully on Tuesday. Spokesman Thomas Regnier told reporters in Brussels: “The decision not to roll out Siri AI in the EU is Apple’s and Apple’s only, because absolutely nothing in the DMA prohibits Apple from introducing new products in the EU”.reuters

Regnier said Apple had been “simply unable to develop interoperability solutions that meet essential EU privacy and security standards” and that rather than pursuing a workable compliance path, the company had requested an 18-month exemption from its interoperability obligations under the DMA — a request the Commission denied.channelnewsasia

“EU law is non-negotiable,” Regnier said. “The Commission won’t give any exemptions, just like a police officer would not exempt a driver from respecting the speed limit”.adnkronos

A Familiar Pattern

The dispute marks the latest chapter in Apple’s fraught relationship with EU regulators over the DMA, which requires large tech platforms designated as “gatekeepers” to allow interoperability with rival services. Apple had previously withheld its Apple Intelligence features from EU users in 2024 over similar regulatory concerns.bloomberg

EU users with iPhones and iPads will miss out on Siri AI’s advanced capabilities announced at WWDC26, including an expanded Visual Intelligence experience, integrated writing tools, and a dedicated app for revisiting conversations. The standoff leaves millions of European consumers caught between a tech giant’s compliance strategy and a regulator’s enforcement posture, with no resolution in sight.apple