Anyone who lives in Europe and has been counting down the days until they have a smarter Siri will have to exercise patience. Apple announced that the new assistant with artificial intelligence does not yet have a date to reach the European market. The new operating systems, iOS 27 and iPadOS 27, will also be launched in Europe, with no weight. The reason given? The Cupertino giant blames the European Union. More specifically, for the Digital Markets Law (DMA), the legislative package that regulates competition and which, according to the company, compromises the security of devices.
Brussels’ reaction was swift and appears to leave little room for diplomacy. The European Commission did not like serving as a scapegoat and outright rejected the idea of it being an obstacle to innovation. According to a spokesperson for the community executive, quoted by ReutersApple simply failed to create a tool that respected the law.
Num statement released in its virtual press room, the brand led by Tim Cook adopted a cautious tone. The company claims that interoperability obligations required by Brussels could force it to compromise the privacy of its customers’ data. In practice, the law obliges technology companies to open their systems to third parties. The objective is to avoid monopolies, allowing competing services to work on the same devices and compete fairly.
Apple argues that, by unlocking the doors of its operating system, it cannot guarantee the protection of those who use the iPhone. “Due to the DMA, Siri AI will be delayed in the European Union for iOS 27 and iPadOS 27”, announced the technology company. The company says it fears being forced to compromise the integrity of its products, putting the security of personal information at risk. Faced with this scenario, those responsible chose to put the European launch in the drawer.
Brussels’ response
The European Commission takes a diametrically opposite reading. For community authorities, the legislation serves precisely to ensure that large companies do not lock consumers into a dome. If Apple cannot adapt its technology without preventing other services from operating securely, the problem lies in the architecture of the tool itself and not in the rules of the game.
“Apple failed to make its AI tool compatible with EU regulations,” the Commission stressed to Reuters. Brussels has repeated the message that innovations from technology companies are welcome, but it is up to them to adapt their products to the law, and not the other way around. The privacy argument is, for Europe, a convenient way of maintaining absolute control over a highly profitable ecosystem.
What is left to lose in everyday life?
North American users will be able, from next autumn, to update their equipment to versions 27 of the operating systems and start having more natural conversations with the voice assistant. You may be asked to summarize emails work hours, look for a specific photo of an old dinner, or organize the week’s tasks. All of this is processed, Apple promises, quickly and intelligently. THE Apple gave several examples of the potential of the new Siri.
The Europeans should, until further notice, continue with their old assistant. That Siri that, let’s be honest, still has some difficulty understanding whether we just want to set an alarm for seven in the morning or know if it’s going to rain on the weekend.
This dispute raises a question about the balance between technological convenience and user rights. THE Apple wants to keep the walls of its system high, insisting that this is the only way to protect us from hackers. The European Union requires that the system be open so that there is freedom of choice, so that users are not held hostage by a single brand.
