One controversy to mar the launch of Siri AI was the news that it will not as yet be available within EU countries.
The EU told Apple that it would have to allow third-party AI providers to offer similar functionality on iPhones, and the company has responded by withholding an EU launch for now. We’re now learning that Meta’s WhatsApp is being faced with a similar demand …
Apple said that it had been unable to reach agreement with EU regulators on a compromise solution.
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. “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.”
Greg Joswiak said Apple had submitted a proposal to the EU more than six months ago without any response.
Politico reports that Meta is now facing a similar battle, with the EU telling it that it must allow rival AI chatbots to operate within WhatsApp without charge.
The European Commission ordered Meta on Tuesday to give competing artificial intelligence assistants free access to WhatsApp, a rare emergency intervention that will stay in force until it completes an antitrust investigation into the company.
Meta did allow third-party AI access to WhatsApp until October of last year, when it began charging a fee. The EU said this was unacceptable and was intended to prevent competition. Meta denies this and says that its AI interface was never designed for third-party chatbots.
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Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!
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