EU rejects Apple's exemption request for Siri AI and accuses Cupertino of obstruction

Apple had announced in a blog post that its Siri AI service would not be available in the EU, citing the DMA. The company stated that Brussels had rejected « sämtliche Vorschläge » from Apple and that there was « derzeit » no timeline for the introduction of the new voice assistant in the EU due to a « klarer Gefahr » to users.

Apple's arguments on data protection

The tech giant justifies its position by arguing that opening the AI assistant to third parties would pose a major risk to user security and privacy. Apple warns that opening access to the AI assistant's data to third parties would risk exposing sensitive data, including information about incoming messages, contacts, and screen content. Alternative app stores can already be installed on Apple devices, subject to numerous conditions.

To launch the new Siri AI in the EU, Apple would have to allow third-party voice assistants with the same range of features. The company charges a significant commission on every purchase made through its App Store, which reinforces its status as a « gatekeeper » under the DMA due to the dominant position of the iPhone and iPad in the market.

Apple is designated as a « gatekeeper » under the DMA due to the dominant market position of its iPhone and iPad. The DMA requires companies thus designated to provide comparable access to their core services for third-party providers. Google and Meta are also designated as « gatekeepers » under the DMA.

Apple's « gatekeeper » status in the EU

According to the web analytics site StatCounter, Apple holds a 40% market share for mobile devices within the EU. Apple has already called for the abolition of the DMA and has filed an appeal against the €500 million fine imposed last year by Brussels for digital rule violations. The EU is also preparing a new record fine under the DMA against Google.

Google also refuses to give other AI agents comparable access to its own Gemini on Android, citing security reasons. Google's Android security chief, David Kleidermacher, said at a press meeting that the EU's requirements would essentially give every app unlimited access to sensitive user data and would completely undermine the operating system's protective functions.

Google and the debate over third-party AI agent access

Kleidermacher also told STANDARD that building system-wide interfaces for truly secure AI agents was taking significantly more time and required broad public debate and thorough testing. He added that, in Google's case, external experts had been given only two weeks to provide their comments.

Meanwhile, the live translation feature for Apple headphones is now available in the EU. Smartwatches from other manufacturers can display iPhone notifications and allow users to respond to them, and third-party headphones can now be connected more easily to iPhones. The iPhone Mirroring feature, which displays and controls iPhone content on a Mac, remains unavailable in the EU because Apple would otherwise have to open this capability to third-party companies.

The WWDC presentation was likely the last major appearance by long-time CEO Tim Cook, who had succeeded Apple founder Steve Jobs. Tim Cook is to hand over the leadership to John Ternus in September, on the occasion of the annual new iPhone presentation in the fall. John Ternus will need to reach an arrangement with the EU. The new generation of the company's digital assistant, dubbed Siri AI, uses generative AI technology and was presented Monday at Apple's annual developer conference. Siri AI will be available in the EU for other device categories, including Macs, smartwatches, and mixed reality glasses.

The EU had stated several weeks earlier that Apple was conducting a « expérience de sécurité et de protection des données à grande échelle sur les utilisateurs européens » at a time when AI-driven threats are increasing the fastest. A Commission spokesperson added that Apple was « einfach nicht in der Lage » to develop a solution compliant with EU rules. In May, Apple had sided with Google, its main competitor in the smartphone sector, on DMA-related issues.