Why Apple’s AI upgrade for Siri won’t be available in Europe

This week, Apple announced an improved version of its Siri digital assistant, which includes artificial intelligence capabilities to help users answer questions, complete tasks and search for information from a variety of devices and apps.

Apple said Siri will be available later this year, but roughly 450 million people in the 27 countries that make up the European Union will have to wait. A regulatory dispute between Apple and the European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, is delaying the release of new AI features.

At the root of the problem is the Competition Act, the Digital Markets Act, or DMA, which requires big tech companies like Apple to ensure their products are interoperability. This means that third-party developers would be able to offer competing AI digital assistants for download instead of Siri.

European regulators have said the rules are necessary to improve competition. Apple said compliance would lead to privacy and security risks.

In order to offer an effective AI assistant, the software needs broad access to the user’s device to browse files, apps, photos and other data. Giving such access to a third-party app developer creates the risk of stealing personal data, including passwords and photos, or changing files and account settings without permission, Apple said.

“Under EU regulators, the DMA requires Apple to give any AI system near-unfettered access to a user’s device, as well as the ability to act on that access autonomously without the user’s ongoing visibility and control,” the company said.

Europe is Apple’s second largest market after the United States 111 billion dollars on sale in 2025. China, where the service will also not be available immediately, is Apple’s third largest market.

Apple said it offered various alternatives during months of negotiations, including a system that would allow third-party assistants but restrict access to certain data on a person’s device. The company, which developed the new Siri tool with Google, said the commission rejected the ideas.

Apple said it has no timetable for making the product available on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch devices in the European Union. However, the service will be available on Mac computers.

On Tuesday, Thomas Regnier, a spokesman for the European Commission, said in a statement that Apple is a “gatekeeper” and “is not allowed to close the market.” The DMA, he said, aims to encourage competition and give customers more choice.

“Instead of trying to find appropriate compliance solutions, Apple simply asked the commission to be released from interoperability obligations,” he said. “That’s not an option.

Apple isn’t the only company that has been told to open up its products to outside developers. On Tuesday, the commission too ordered Meta to reverse a policy that effectively banned rival AI chatbots from integrating with its WhatsApp messaging service.

Regulatory disputes are starting to lead to product delays for European customers. In 2024, Apple delayed the release of additional AI features. Meta also previously delayed the release of its AI services, smart glasses and social media site Threads before finally making them available in Europe.