Apple has decided to keep its redesigned Siri AI out of European iPhones and iPads, blaming the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) for making it impossible to launch safely. The company announced the new AI assistant at its developer conference on Monday, but confirmed EU users won't receive it when the update ships this fall, with no timeline for a potential future release. Mac users in Europe will still get the feature, and the older version of Siri remains available.

This marks the second time Apple has withheld AI features from Europe over the DMA, after holding back its original Apple Intelligence suite at its 2024 launch. The decision has ignited a public dispute between one of the world's largest tech companies and European regulators, exposing fundamental disagreements about how AI should be regulated and who bears responsibility for compliance.

Why Is Apple Refusing to Launch Siri AI in Europe?

Apple's core argument centers on security and privacy risks. The DMA requires designated gatekeepers like Apple to allow rival services to interoperate with their platforms on fair terms. For Siri AI, this means competitors like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic would need similar access to Apple's systems, including the ability to read and send messages, make purchases, and act across apps.

According to Apple, granting that level of access to outside companies would compromise customer privacy and security so severely that the company would rather not release the feature at all. Craig Federighi, Apple's software engineering chief, stated: "We're deeply disappointed that our EU users won't have Siri AI on iPhone or iPad," adding that the company hopes to bring it to the bloc eventually and will keep engaging with regulators.

Craig Federighi, Apple's software engineering chief

Apple proposed a workaround called the Trusted System Agent, which would act as an intermediary between rival AI assistants and Apple's systems. The company said it would need 18 months to implement this solution on a "gradually rolling" basis. However, the European Commission rejected this proposal and others, leaving Apple unwilling to proceed.

What Does the EU Say About Apple's Claims?

European regulators flatly reject Apple's framing of the situation. The European Commission argues that nothing in the DMA prevents Apple from introducing new products and services in the EU. Instead, the Commission contends that Apple is using privacy concerns as a pretext to avoid opening its ecosystem to competitors.

Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier stated that the company "was simply unable to develop interoperability solutions that meet the essential EU privacy and security standards." Rather than find a compliance solution, Regnier noted, Apple asked for an 18-month exemption from its interoperability obligations, which the Commission rejected outright.

"EU law is non-negotiable. The Commission won't give any exemption, just like a police officer would not exempt a driver from respecting the speed limit," said Thomas Regnier, Commission spokesperson.

Thomas Regnier, Commission Spokesperson

The Commission also pointed out that Siri AI itself is "powered by Google," meaning Apple is already relying on external partnerships for its AI capabilities. This undermines the company's argument that opening access to competitors is uniquely risky.

How Are Legal Experts Evaluating This Dispute?

Technology law scholars are divided on whether Apple's privacy concerns are legitimate or a strategic maneuver. Some experts acknowledge real security risks in forcing platforms to open their systems, but others question whether Apple's arguments hold up under scrutiny.

Michael Veale, a professor of technology law and policy at University College London, identified a key inconsistency in Apple's position. He noted that Apple is making an exception to its own privacy and security setup "in order to stay relevant and in the game" when it comes to AI. "Apple's privacy and security model is built like a Jenga tower, based on extreme vertical control by the firm, and risks collapsing when interoperability is introduced," Veale explained.

In other words, Apple is comfortable altering its own practices to give Siri AI broad access to user data across different apps, but argues the same kind of access is too dangerous when competitors request it. Veale and other experts also questioned why Apple needs 18 months to implement interoperability, given that the DMA requirements were predictable and should have been addressed during Siri AI's development.

Jan Penfrat, a senior policy adviser for European Digital Rights (EDRi), characterized Apple's move as a lobbying tactic. "It's very much a lobbying tactic," Penfrat said. "The problem is not the DMA but Apple refusing to open up its competition-busting software ecosystem".

What Does This Reveal About AI Regulation in Europe?

The Apple-EU dispute illustrates a broader tension in how Europe is regulating artificial intelligence. While the EU AI Act has received significant attention, the DMA's interoperability requirements are now shaping how AI features are deployed across the continent. This creates a complex regulatory landscape where companies must navigate both AI-specific rules and competition law.

The conflict also reflects deeper questions about public morals and AI governance. A recent analysis from the Peterson Institute for International Economics noted that the World Trade Organization (WTO) has a rarely-used "public morals" exception that could become central to future trade disputes over AI regulation. As nations adopt different AI standards, the question of whether those standards serve legitimate public interests will likely become a flashpoint in international trade.

The WTO reported that at least 20 new AI-related concerns were raised in a recent review period, with 12 specifically flagged as AI-related at the November 2025 Technical Barriers to Trade Committee meeting. These concerns include algorithm transparency requirements, cybersecurity rules, data governance, and digital product regulation. The EU AI Act itself has already been addressed in this formal consultative process.

Steps Companies Can Take to Navigate EU AI Regulation

• Engage Early in the Standards Process: Companies should participate in the WTO's Technical Barriers to Trade consultations before standards are finalized, rather than waiting until rules are adopted. This allows firms to raise specific trade concerns and potentially influence the regulatory framework.
• Develop Compliance Solutions in Parallel: Rather than treating regulatory requirements as obstacles to address later, companies should integrate compliance into product development from the start. Apple's need for 18 months to implement interoperability suggests the company did not plan for DMA compliance during Siri AI's design phase.
• Distinguish Between Genuine Security Risks and Business Preferences: Regulators are increasingly skeptical of privacy and security arguments that appear to serve primarily as competitive moats. Companies should clearly document and separate legitimate technical constraints from business model preferences when making regulatory arguments.

The Apple-EU standoff also signals that companies operating in Europe must prepare for a regulatory environment where competition law and AI-specific rules intersect. The DMA's interoperability requirements apply regardless of whether a product is powered by AI, meaning any feature that involves data access or cross-platform functionality may face similar scrutiny.

Apple is clearly hoping public opinion will pressure the EU to relent. The company took the unusual step of dedicating part of its WWDC 2026 keynote to explaining why Siri AI won't come to Europe, then published a blog post titled "Due to DMA, Siri AI delayed in EU for iOS 27 and iPadOS 27." It has also held media briefings specifically about the European issue. China will also miss out on Siri AI due to regulatory challenges, though that was mentioned only in a one-sentence footnote.

Ultimately, Apple is playing what experts describe as a game of chicken with Europe. The EU is a massive market, and Apple has strong incentives to find a way to bring Siri AI there eventually, particularly as it becomes a larger part of the iPhone experience. The company managed to add USB-C chargers to its products when Europe forced the issue, suggesting that regulatory pressure can drive change. The question now is whether Europe will force the AI issue with Apple, or whether Brussels will be the one to blink first.