Tim Cook holds talks with EU tech chief as Siri AI remains blocked for European iPhone users

Tim Cook Engages EU Tech Chief Henna Virkkunen Over Siri AI Standoff

Apple CEO Tim Cook held a virtual meeting with EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen on Tuesday to address the ongoing dispute over Siri AI launch in Europe1

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. An EU spokesperson described the exchange as "constructive" and focused on "topics of common interest, on which the work continues"2

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. The meeting included discussions on how Apple can launch its reinvented Siri in Europe while avoiding millions of dollars in fines for violating the bloc's flagship digital competition rules, according to two people familiar with the constructive talks1

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The timing carries weight as Tim Cook prepares to step down as Apple's CEO in September, with hardware boss John Ternus expected to take over2

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. Much of Cook's remaining value centers on his role as the company's senior government liaison, making this meeting a fitting part of his transition strategy3

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Digital Markets Act Creates Regulatory Hurdles for Apple's New Voice Assistant

The dispute centers on the Digital Markets Act, which requires Apple to give rival AI assistants access to the same underlying iPhone capabilities as Siri AI. Apple announced at WWDC26 that Siri AI would not launch in the EU alongside iOS 27 and iPadOS 27, citing regulatory concerns3

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. The company published a strongly worded statement placing blame squarely on EU regulators, stating that "over the past several months, EU regulators did not accept any of Apple's proposed solutions to bring Siri AI to the EU while safely supporting other virtual assistants"3

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The long-awaited AI overhaul of Siri is part of Apple's push to compete directly with popular chatbots including OpenAI's ChatGPT and Anthropic's Claude1

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. The new Siri transforms the voice assistant into a chatbot similar to ChatGPT or Claude, with access to personal data, and is seen by investors as essential to proving the $4.25tn tech giant is competitive in AI technology1

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Trusted System Agent Proposal Fails to Bridge Gap on Interoperability Requirements

In November, Apple proposed a technical fix dubbed a "Trusted System Agent"—a layer of software between a user's device data and third-party AI models1

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. The intermediary would allow rival AI assistants to draw on personal information from the device without giving them full access to the data3

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. Apple proposed an 18-month transition period that would allow Siri AI to launch while the company gradually rolled out Trusted System Agent, but claimed the European Commission rejected the plan3

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A Commission official said its contact with Apple on the idea was limited, and that it lacked a concrete proposal or details on how such an agent would work beyond the general concept1

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. The official claimed Apple "focused on obtaining a green light to delay compliance" rather than developing interoperability solutions that meet essential EU privacy and security standards5

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. EU officials have said Apple is seeking an unacceptable carve-out from its interoperability requirements under EU law for 18 months, pushing back at what they call "a regulatory holiday" that would harm competitors1

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Public Backlash and US-EU Tech Relations Intensify Pressure

The dispute triggered fierce public backlash against the commission, with European officials reporting hundreds of emails from consumers accusing Brussels of depriving Europeans of new AI technology1

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. One EU official said a commission spokesperson received a stream of abusive messages, including several death threats1

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Apple's latest stand-off with the EU is being watched by a US administration that has slammed the bloc's digital rules1

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. Asked about the Siri dispute, a White House official pointed to Trump's February 2025 memorandum that directed US officials to consider imposing retaliatory tariffs on groups that implemented "extortion and unfair fines and penalties" on American companies1

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. This adds geopolitical weight to what might otherwise be a technical regulatory matter, potentially affecting broader US-EU tech relations.

The restriction applies only to iOS 27 and iPadOS 27, the two systems the Digital Markets Act has formally designated2

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. EU users will still get Siri AI on macOS 27, visionOS 27, and watchOS 272

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. Apple has not committed to a timeline for bringing the assistant to European iPhones, and the Commission has not signalled any softening of its position2

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. The meeting produced an agreement to keep talking, but whether the next round delivers more than an adjective remains to be seen2

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