Apple Withholds Siri AI from EU iPhones and iPads

During its WWDC 2026 keynote, Apple Inc. announced that the new Siri AI features will not be available on iPhone or iPad in the European Union upon the release of iOS 27 and iPadOS 27. The company argues that the European Commission's interpretation of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) would require granting rival virtual assistants "extreme" access to private user data and autonomous control over installed applications, posing insurmountable security risks.

Apple attempted to resolve the impasse by proposing a "Trusted System Agent" intermediary and requesting an 18-month exemption from interoperability obligations. The European Commission rejected both proposals. EU regulators assert that nothing in the DMA prohibits the introduction of new products and that the decision to withhold the service is a voluntary business choice by Apple to avoid developing a compliant technical solution.

While Siri AI is blocked on mobile devices in the EU, it remains available on macOS 27, visionOS 27, and watchOS 27, as these platforms are not designated as gatekeepers under the DMA. Apple also stated that Siri AI and Apple Intelligence will be unavailable in China due to regulatory requirements. The company has provided no timeline for the release of these features in either region, and the European Commission maintains that EU law is non-negotiable.