The European Commission responded to Apple’s announcement that Siri AI would not launch in the EU, saying the decision was entirely up to Apple and that the company was seeking an exemption from its legal obligations rather than a compliant solution.
Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier told reporters in Brussels (via Reuters) that Apple had failed to develop interoperability solutions that met EU privacy and security standards and instead asked to get away with it altogether.
The decision not to deploy Siri AI in the EU is solely up to Apple and Apple. Apple has simply been unable to develop interoperability solutions that meet essential EU security and privacy standards. Instead of trying to find a suitable compliance solution, Apple simply asked the European Commission for an exemption from its interoperability obligations. This is not an option.
The statement appears to somewhat contradict Apple’s description of events. Apple announced yesterday that Siri AI would not be available in the EU on iOS or iPadOS, accusing regulators of refusing to engage constructively on proposed solutions.
Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, said the company was “deeply disappointed” and cited what he described as regulators’ refusal to accept any of Apple’s proposals, including a system called Trusted System Agent that would have allowed third-party virtual assistants to securely access the same device capabilities as the AI ​​‌Siri‌.
The Commission’s narrative tells a different story. Rather than negotiate Apple’s proposed solutions, regulators say Apple simply requested a blanket exemption from its interoperability obligations under the Digital Markets Act, which the Commission says is not an available option. Apple’s statement defines the DMA’s requirements as requiring any AI system to have “nearly unrestricted access” to a user’s device.
When iOS 27 and Apple’s other major new software updates are released later this year, EU users won’t have access to the AI ​​‌Siri‌ or any of its new features, including the app for revisiting and starting new conversations. Apple said it hoped to eventually bring AI ‌Siri‌ to the EU and would continue to work with regulators, but offered no timetable.
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