No tech rule exemption for Apple, EU regulators say amid spat over Siri AI delay - Reuters

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitgFBVV95cUxPVzNjcTNvOF9vcGtjQlkwczJ2Znk2SGllam1yRlZ2OEdOOHVUdGV6dnl2OW1rMk13cEVxcFlXaHIyVW9FV2liTlhmVHdmT1FlZzFodV9qejNlM2ZRREZkLVNublllRTA0WGRHWnVKS3ViWFFaNEFvUm5JbkZUN0I1NC1MOFF6dXNZY2g0cUl1cFJZQVYwS3VVdnFwdmRFV0Y5TE9KVmFyc1NIMlpseDloU3FkRElFUQ?oc=5" target="_blank">No tech rule exemption for Apple, EU regulators say amid spat over Siri AI delay</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<font color="#6f6f6f">Reuters</font>

Apple and the European Union are at odds over the delayed rollout of Apple’s new Siri AI assistant in Europe. Apple has stated that the delay is due to the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), claiming the law’s strict requirements would force it to grant competing assistants direct access to user data without adequate protections. The European Commission disputes Apple’s claims, emphasizing that the EU’s regulations do not prohibit product launches and blaming Apple for the decision to withhold the app.

The new enhanced Siri AI features that Apple announced at WWDC 2026 will not be available in the European Union or in China when they are released in beta later this year. Apple stated that while Siri AI will be available for free with the new upcoming OS releases, it will not be available in the EU on iOS and iPadOS until it can find a path forward for regulatory approval. Apple said EU regulators did not accept any of the company's proposed solutions to bring Siri AI to the EU while safely supporting other virtual assistants.

EU regulators slammed Apple for blaming EU tech rules for its decision not to roll out its upgraded assistant Siri AI in the European Union, saying they had rejected the company's request for an 18-month exemption from its obligations. The iPhone maker said Siri AI would not be available initially in the EU on iPhones or iPads and faulted the European Commission for refusing to engage constructively with them to ensure privacy and security on their devices. The Commission repudiated Apple's criticism, stating that the decision not to roll out Siri AI in the EU is Apple's and Apple's only.

Apple will not launch its new Siri AI tool in the European Union after the company failed to meet interoperability requirements under EU regulations, an EU Commission spokesperson said. Thomas Regnier, speaking to reporters in Brussels, said the decision to withhold the product from the EU market was made entirely by Apple. The company was unable to develop interoperability solutions that comply with EU privacy and security standards, he said. Apple requested an exemption from interoperability obligations but was denied, Regnier said. He added that seeking an exemption rather than finding a compliance solution was not acceptable.

The European Commission has responded to Apple's announcement that Siri AI will not launch in the EU, saying the decision is entirely Apple's and that the company sought an exemption from its legal obligations rather than a compliant solution. Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier stated that Apple failed to develop interoperability solutions meeting EU privacy and security standards and instead requested a blanket exemption from its interoperability obligations under the Digital Markets Act, which was not accepted.