Apple today introduced Siri AI, an entirely new version of Siri, powered by Apple Intelligence. Unfortunately, due to the Digital Markets Act (DMA), Apple will not be able to ship Siri AI in the European Union with the release of iOS 27 and iPadOS 27. Over the past several months, EU regulators did not accept any of Apple’s proposed solutions to bring Siri AI to the EU while safely supporting other virtual assistants. “We’re deeply disappointed that our EU users won’t have Siri AI on iPhone or iPad when we share our new software releases later this year,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering, in a statement. “Our hope is to eventually bring Siri AI to the EU, and we will continue to engage with EU regulators on a path forward. However, their refusal to engage constructively on solutions that preserve privacy and security means we do not currently have a timeline for Siri AI’s availability on iOS and iPadOS in the EU.” When iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 launch later this year, users in the EU will not have access to Siri AI and its advanced capabilities — including the new dedicated app to revisit conversations, an expanded Visual Intelligence experience, integrated tools for writing, Siri mode in Camera on iOS, and other Siri AI capabilities announced at WWDC26. EU users will be able to access Siri AI on macOS 27, visionOS 27, and watchOS 27. Developers located in the EU will not be able to test or use the new Siri AI features for their apps on iOS and iPadOS. Siri AI is private by design and deeply integrated across Apple’s platforms using on-device processing and Private Cloud Compute, which extends the privacy and security of iPhone into the cloud. However, under EU regulators’ extreme interpretation of the DMA, Apple would have to give any virtual assistant direct access to users’ private data — and the ability to directly control other installed applications — as soon as Siri AI is made available in the EU, without the essential protections necessary to keep users and their data safe. According to EU regulators, the DMA requires Apple to give any AI system nearly unlimited access to a user’s device, as well as the ability to act on that access autonomously without a user’s ongoing visibility and control. That includes the ability to read and send messages, make purchases, access files, and execute actions across any app. Security researchers have already shown that AI systems can be hijacked to steal personal data — like passwords and photos — and to permanently alter files and account settings without a user’s consent. As AI systems gain more capabilities, these risks are quickly increasing in frequency and scope. Given the serious risks to users, Apple designed a solution called Trusted System Agent — an intermediary that would allow virtual assistants to safely access the same features and capabilities as Siri AI for devices in the EU. Apple also shared a plan to launch Siri AI in the EU while gradually rolling out this new solution over an 18-month period. The European Commission said no. In fact, the European Commission did not agree to any of Apple’s proposals. Apple will continue working to bring these features to the European Union as safely as possible. However, given the clear dangers to EU users and the regulators’ failure to acknowledge these risks, there is currently no timeline for Siri AI’s availability in the EU on iOS and iPadOS. MacDailyNews Take: In classic Brussels fashion, the European Commission has once again proven that it would rather kneecap innovation, privacy, and its own citizens’ user experience than admit that its vaunted DMA is a disastrous, overreaching mess. Apple’s announcement today is crystal clear: the deeply personal, privacy-first Siri AI — with its on-device processing, Private Cloud Compute, new dedicated app, expanded Visual Intelligence, writing tools, Camera integration, and more — will launch on iOS 27 and iPadOS 27, but not in the EU. EU users get it on Mac, Vision Pro, and Watch, but their iPhones and iPads? Sorry, not yet. Why? Because under the EU’s extreme interpretation of its overreaching DMA, rolling out Siri AI would require Apple to hand any third-party virtual assistant nearly unlimited, direct access to users’ private data and the ability to autonomously control apps — reading messages, making purchases, altering files, the works — without the safeguards that keep Apple’s own implementation secure. Security researchers have already demonstrated how easily AI systems can be hijacked for data theft and mischief. Apple proposed a sensible “Trusted System Agent” intermediary and an 18-month phased rollout to balance competition with actual user safety. The European Commission’s response? A flat “no” to every proposal. This is exactly what we’ve warned about for years. The DMA isn’t “pro-competition” — it’s a regulatory cudgel designed to punish success and force Apple to compromise the very things that make its products superior: tight integration, ironclad privacy, and security. EU users already suffer from sideloading risks, broken continuity features, delayed rollouts, and a general second-class experience. Now they’re being denied cutting-edge AI because Brussels regulators refuse to acknowledge basic realities about how dangerous unchecked AI access can be. Craig Federighi put it perfectly: “We’re deeply disappointed that our EU users won’t have Siri AI on iPhone or iPad…” Apple wants to bring it. They’re willing to work with regulators. But when the goalposts keep moving and every compromise is rejected in favor of ideological purity, this is the predictable result. EU residents pay the price with inferior products while Apple ships the good stuff to the rest of the world. The EU deserves this self-inflicted wound. They crafted a law that prioritizes punishing big tech over delivering real benefits to consumers. They ignored warnings about privacy and security. They’ve turned Europe into a cautionary tale of what happens when bureaucrats try to design consumer electronics by regulatory fiat. Congratulations, Brussels. Your users get yesterday’s AI while everyone else moves forward. Maybe someday the EU will realize that protecting users means respecting the companies that actually build things worth using — instead of hobbling them at every turn. Until then, enjoy your delayed, degraded iPhone experience. You voted for it. (Or at least, you let your regulators deliver it.) Support MacDailyNews at no extra cost to you by using this link to shop at Amazon. The post Due to DMA, Siri AI delayed in EU for iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 appeared first on MacDailyNews. You're currently a free subscriber to MacDailyNews. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription.
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