European iPhone and iPad users won't receive Apple’s new Siri AI at launch after the European Commission refused an 18-month exemption from interoperability obligations under the Digital Markets Act, leaving Apple unable to introduce the product in the EU. Apple said it won't make Siri AI available initially in the EU and provided no timetable for when the assistant might arrive. The decision means the conversational, on-device assistant Apple unveiled for iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 at its developer conference will appear on iPhones and iPads outside the EU later this year but will be absent from EU devices at launch. That absence matters commercially: Europe made up nearly 27 percent of Apple’s total sales in its last fiscal year.

The EU rollout pause is a direct consequence of a regulatory refusal, and Apple says that refusal left it unable to offer the feature without risking user privacy and security. The company told regulators it had proposed an 18-month, phased approach that would introduce an intermediary to allow third-party virtual assistants to access Siri AI safely, but the European Commission rejected that proposal, according to Apple’s account.

Why the Commission said no

The Commission framed the outcome as the result of Apple seeking preferential treatment rather than delivering a compliant technical solution. European Commission spokesman Thomas Regnier told reporters, "the decision not to roll out Siri AI in the EU is Apple's and Apple's only," and said an 18-month exemption was not an option because it would deny other virtual assistants an equal chance on iPhone. The Commission also said Apple had been unable to develop interoperability solutions that meet essential EU privacy and security standards.

Under the Digital Markets Act, large platform owners must offer competing services the ability to interoperate with the platform's operating system, hardware and software features. The Commission stressed its interpretation of the DMA is non-negotiable and that it won't grant exemptions that would weaken that goal. Companies found in breach of the DMA face fines of up to 10 percent of global annual turnover.

Apple's security argument and the product impact

Apple argued the DMA requirement, as interpreted by EU authorities, would force it to give third-party AI agents extensive access to device data and the ability to act across apps in ways that could imperil user privacy and security. The company pointed to security research showing how AI systems can be hijacked to extract personal data or alter files, and said those risks informed its request for a staged rollout with protections in place.

As a result, the upgraded Siri features Apple showcased at its developer conference won't be available to European users at launch. Those features, described as a conversational, on-device assistant bundled with iOS 27 and iPadOS 27, remain scheduled for devices outside the EU later this year.

Mastheads

Apple confirmed the capabilities will be absent from EU devices at initial release and offered no new timetable for EU availability.

Apple presented the phased approach as a compromise: introduce an intermediary layer to mediate access, limit the scope of third-party agents, and stage the rollout while testing protections. Regulators rejected that path, saying it would amount to an exemption and would undercut the DMA’s intent to ensure competing services can access the same platform-level functions as the platform owner.

The disagreement follows a string of earlier Apple pauses the company has linked to EU rules. Apple previously postponed rollouts in the EU for iPhone mirroring to Mac, live translation with AirPods and certain location-based Maps functions, citing compliance challenges under the DMA. Those earlier delays set the context for the current stand-off over Siri AI.

Apple’s senior engineering executives have publicly framed the pause as temporary. Apple senior vice president Craig Federighi said the company hopes "to eventually bring Siri AI to the EU" and that Apple will continue to engage with EU regulators on a path forward. Beyond that expression of intent, Apple provided no timeline and didn't give a new rollout date for EU availability.

The exchange of public statements came in briefings after Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference rollout. Apple attributed its decision to regulatory constraints. The Commission described the move as Apple’s choice, saying the company had opted to request an exemption instead of delivering an interoperable, compliant technical solution.

The practical effect for users is straightforward. European iPhone and iPad owners won't see the new Siri features when Apple ships iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 in markets outside the EU. Developers and third-party assistant makers won't get immediate access to Apple’s on-device AI through the intermediary Apple proposed, because regulators declined to permit the staged path Apple sought.

For Apple the pause isn't just a product issue. Europe accounted for nearly 27 percent of the company’s total sales in its last fiscal year, a material slice of revenue that gives the region commercial weight in corporate planning. The absence of Siri AI from EU devices at launch will therefore be watched closely inside the company, even as Apple continues to engage with regulators.

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Apple says it will keep talking with EU officials but gave no date; under the DMA companies face fines of up to 10 percent of global annual turnover for non-compliance.

This article was created with AI assistance.