Apple Halts Siri AI Launch on EU iPhones and iPads as DMA Targets 427 Million Phones
Updated
Updated · CNN · Jul 19
Apple Halts Siri AI Launch on EU iPhones and iPads as DMA Targets 427 Million Phones
3 articles · Updated · CNN · Jul 19
Summary
Apple said in June it will not roll out its new Siri AI features on EU iPhones and iPads, arguing the Digital Markets Act would force it to give rival assistants access to private user data.
427 million smartphones in the EU fall under the rules, which also require Google to open Android to third-party AI agents by July 2027 and begin sharing some search data in January.
Google and Apple say the mandate creates security and privacy risks because outside apps could gain powerful permissions over messages, location, microphones and other sensitive device functions.
The European Commission says gatekeepers can still build safeguards, and it wants rival assistants to match Gemini and Siri more closely to curb Apple and Google’s advantage across roughly 5 billion active phones worldwide.
ChatGPT is already installed on about 30% of EU smartphones, suggesting the rules could weaken the platforms’ control over mobile AI and give outside assistants more room to bypass Android or iOS defaults.
With the EU forcing smartphones open, are users gaining real AI choice or just new pathways for security threats?
As Big Tech fights back with 'malicious compliance,' is Europe's landmark digital law already proving to be a paper tiger?
EU’s DMA Leaves 50 Million iPhone Owners Without Siri AI: Apple’s Privacy Stand Sparks Tech Cold War
Overview
In July 2026, Apple decided to withhold its new Siri AI features from iPhones and iPads in the European Union after the European Commission rejected all of Apple’s compliance proposals, including a request for an 18-month exemption from interoperability rules. As a result, EU users cannot access advanced AI capabilities and several other anticipated features available in other regions, creating a clear gap in user experience. Apple cited concerns about user safety and regulatory risks, while also stating there is no timeline for Siri AI’s EU release. Ongoing talks between Apple and EU officials have yet to resolve the standoff.