EU Rejects Apple's Bid to Exempt Siri AI From DMA Rules

A Public Standoff Over Siri

Apple and the European Commission are locked in a high-profile dispute over the company's decision not to launch its overhauled Siri AI assistant on iPhones and iPads in the European Union. Each side is blaming the other, leaving millions of European consumers caught in the middle with no resolution in sight.

Apple Points to the DMA

In a statement released on Monday, Apple said it would not be able to ship Siri AI in the EU alongside the release of iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 later this year. The company cited the bloc's Digital Markets Act and its interoperability requirements, which compel large platforms designated as gatekeepers to open up to rival services. Apple said it had proposed solutions in recent months, including a new layer called the "Trusted System Agent" designed to coordinate data access for third-party virtual assistants. According to Apple, EU regulators did not accept any of its proposed solutions to bring Siri AI to the EU while safely supporting other assistants. The company added there is currently no timeline for availability on iPhones and iPads in the EU, though Siri AI will still work on macOS 27 and visionOS 27.

Brussels Pushes Back Hard

The European Commission responded forcefully on Tuesday. Spokesman Thomas Regnier told reporters in Brussels that the decision not to roll out Siri AI is Apple's and Apple's only, insisting that absolutely nothing in the DMA prohibits Apple from introducing new products in the EU. Regnier said Apple had been simply unable to develop interoperability solutions meeting essential EU privacy and security standards, and that rather than pursuing a workable compliance path, Apple had requested an 18-month exemption from its interoperability obligations. The Commission denied that request. "EU law is non-negotiable," Regnier said, comparing the situation to a police officer who would not exempt a driver from respecting the speed limit.

A Familiar Pattern

The clash is the latest chapter in Apple's fraught relationship with EU regulators over the DMA. Apple previously withheld its Apple Intelligence features from EU users in 2024 over similar concerns. EU users will now 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 comes amid a broader wave of EU enforcement, including a recent order requiring Meta to restore free WhatsApp access for competing AI assistants.