The European Union has pushed back against Apple’s explanation for why its upgraded voice assistant is not being launched in the region, saying the responsibility lies with the company to ensure its products comply with European law.
The dispute follows Apple’s announcement of a major artificial intelligence upgrade for its devices, including a redesigned Siri system. The updated assistant, referred to as Siri AI, is designed to process more natural speech, interact across apps such as Maps and Mail, and perform more complex user tasks.
In its announcement, Apple said the new features would not be available in the European Union due to regulatory constraints under the bloc’s digital competition framework, the Digital Markets Act.
However, the European Commission rejected that explanation. Speaking on behalf of the Commission, digital affairs spokesperson Thomas Regnier said the decision not to launch Siri AI in Europe was entirely Apple’s choice. He argued that nothing in the rules prevents companies from introducing new services in the EU market.
The regulations in question, known as the Digital Markets Act, require major technology platforms to ensure their services are interoperable with those of competitors. The aim is to prevent dominant firms from restricting access to alternative technologies and to ensure fair competition across digital ecosystems.
Regnier said Apple had not been able to design interoperability solutions that meet the EU’s standards for privacy and security. He added that the company had requested an exemption from these obligations, but the request was not approved by the European Commission.
According to the Commission, granting such an exemption would risk giving Apple’s own services an unfair advantage over rival AI systems. Officials warned that it could limit competition by making it harder for alternative AI assistants to gain visibility or user adoption on Apple devices.
Apple has not publicly responded in detail to the Commission’s latest comments. However, the company has previously argued that EU regulations complicate product development and delay the introduction of new features in the region. It has also criticised the Digital Markets Act in the past and called for changes to its framework.
The disagreement highlights ongoing tensions between Brussels and major US technology firms over how digital markets should be regulated. European policymakers maintain that strict rules are necessary to protect competition and user choice, while companies like Apple argue that compliance can slow innovation and increase technical complexity.
This is not the first time Apple has faced friction with EU regulators. The company has previously attributed delays in launching certain services and features in Europe to regulatory requirements, a position that European officials have consistently challenged.
As artificial intelligence becomes more deeply integrated into consumer technology, both sides appear set for continued debate over how innovation should be balanced with regulation in one of the world’s most tightly governed digital markets.
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