– Apple introduced iOS 27 with new AI features led by Siri AI, which can access screen content, apps, and the iPhone camera.
– In the EU, Siri AI is not available on iPhone or iPad due to the Digital Markets Act, only on Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV.
– Apple claims the EU refused to cooperate on security/privacy, while the EU says Apple chose not to offer the feature.
– Apple applied for an 18-month exemption that was rejected, and is reportedly working on an EU-compliant solution behind the scenes.
Apple’s newest iOS 27 update hits iPhones hard
On Monday, Apple has revealed iOS 27, the next major operating system update for smartphones such as the iPhone 17. In addition to performance optimizations and minor design adjustments, the update primarily introduces new AI features, led by Siri AI. Apple’s new chatbot is strongly reminiscent of products such as ChatGPT, including its own app, whereby Siri AI can also access the screen content, installed apps and the iPhone’s camera.
Siri AI blocked in Europe for iPhones
In the EU, however, Siri AI is only available at launch on the Mac, the Apple Watch and on Apple TV, but not on the iPhone or iPad, the platforms that the EU considers to be “gatekeepers” due to their large market share. According to Apple, the EU refused to work constructively with the iPhone manufacturer to find a way to offer Siri AI in the EU without compromising the security and privacy of users. Reuters now quotes a spokesperson for the European Commission as saying that it would be solely Apple’s decision not to offer Siri AI in the EU.
Apple blames Brussels for the AI gap
Instead of finding a viable solution that meets the requirements of the Digital Markets Act, Apple would have simply applied for an exemption valid for at least 18 months, which the Commission unsurprisingly rejected. The fact that Apple is choosing to incite customers against the EU’s policy and spread propaganda instead of developing a compliant solution is a strategy that the company has been pursuing for a long time, probably in the hope of influencing EU antitrust law. Behind the scenes, however, an EU-compliant solution is clearly already in the works, because as the screenshot embedded below shows, the Siri app can already integrate third-party chatbots.
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