June 9, 2026
Siri-ously? Europe said no
Apple decided not to roll out Siri in EU after denied request for exemption
Apple asks for a pass, Europe says nope, and the comments instantly explode
TLDR: Apple says Europe’s rules delayed its upgraded Siri, but EU officials say Apple simply asked for special treatment and got denied. In the comments, readers are split between calling Apple’s move a cynical sympathy play and praising Europe for refusing to bend the rules.
Apple has kicked off a full-blown blame game after saying its smarter Siri won’t arrive in Europe yet because European Union rules got in the way. Apple says the new assistant needs careful handling because it could touch highly personal stuff on your device, and that Europe refused an 18-month grace period while it built safer systems. Brussels fired back fast: nice try, but this was Apple’s choice, and nothing in the law actually banned the launch. That back-and-forth alone was juicy — but the real fireworks were in the comments.
The loudest reaction? A big chunk of readers were absolutely not buying Apple’s victim storyline. One summed up the mood brutally: Apple basically asked, “can we not comply with the law,” got rejected, and then walked away. Others said this looked like a classic public-relations move: delay the feature, make fans mad at Europe, and hope consumers pressure regulators later. On the flip side, Apple defenders came out swinging, arguing that if Europe wants stricter privacy rules, then Europe can’t also demand risky access to private user data. That sparked the most dramatic split in the thread: is Apple protecting users, or protecting its control?
And yes, there was some dry comedy too. One user essentially shrugged, “Good. EU has the right to privacy. Apple has the right to leave.” Another wondered what happens if you simply travel into Europe with your phone — the kind of practical question that appears every time a tech giant and a government start feuding. In other words: Siri may be silent, but the comments are very, very loud.
Key Points
- •Apple said it will delay the initial EU rollout of its upgraded Siri AI on iPhones and iPads after the European Commission rejected its request for an 18-month exemption from DMA obligations.
- •Apple argued that complying immediately would require giving virtual AI assistants unprecedented access to user data and communications, creating privacy and security risks.
- •The European Commission said the DMA does not prevent Apple from launching Siri AI in the EU and that the launch delay is Apple’s decision alone.
- •Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said Apple had not developed interoperability solutions meeting EU privacy and security standards and could not be exempted from DMA obligations for 18 months.
- •Reuters said Europe represented nearly 27% of Apple’s total sales last fiscal year, and Apple also linked other delayed EU features to DMA requirements, including iPhone mirroring to Mac, live translation with AirPods, and Maps features.