Siri AI Delayed in Europe as Apple and EU Clash Over Interoperability

Published by Robert Granstone on July 1, 2026July 1, 2026

What You Need to Know

Tim Cook met virtually with EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen to discuss bringing Siri AI to European users.
Apple proposed “Trusted System Agent” software to let third-party assistants access same capabilities as Siri on EU devices.
EU rejected Apple’s proposal, saying company sought blanket exemption rather than submitting compliant solution under Digital Markets Act.
EU officials accused Apple of focusing on delaying compliance instead of providing concrete technical details for the proposal.

Tim Cook met virtually with EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen on Tuesday to discuss a path for bringing Siri AI to European users. An EU spokesperson described the session as a “constructive exchange on topics of common interest,” though neither side announced any resolution.

The meeting follows a public dispute over who is responsible for Apple’s rebuilt Siri features not reaching European users when iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 ship in September. At WWDC 2026, Apple said EU regulators had rejected all of the company’s proposed solutions. The EU pushed back immediately, characterizing Apple’s approach as seeking a blanket exemption from its interoperability obligations under the Digital Markets Act rather than submitting a compliant solution.

The Trusted System Agent dispute

Apple’s central proposal was a “Trusted System Agent,” intermediary software designed to let third-party virtual assistants access the same system capabilities as Siri on EU devices. A Commission official told the Financial Times that Apple’s contact with the Commission on the idea was limited and that no concrete proposal or technical details were ever provided beyond the general concept. The official said Apple “focused on obtaining a green light to delay compliance,” and warned that launching Siri AI while rivals waited for interoperability access could entrench Apple’s service for two years or more.

The Commission drew a pointed contrast with Google, whose changes to Android prompted regulators to open a formal consultation on DMA compliance rather than a standoff. That comparison matters because it frames Apple’s situation as a choice, not an impasse imposed from outside.

The dispute has generated some political friction for Brussels. EU officials reportedly received hundreds of consumer emails accusing the Commission of blocking Europeans from accessing Siri AI on their iPhones entirely. The features withheld include the new Siri app for revisiting conversations, expanded Visual Intelligence, integrated writing tools, and Siri mode in the Camera app, all completely unavailable in the EU at launch. Apple has not publicly commented on Tuesday’s discussions.

Source: Tim Cook Holds ‘Constructive’ Talks With EU Over Siri AI Launch (macrumors.com)