EU's stricter tech laws delay Apple's Siri AI rollout as Tim Cook holds talks with officials

Henna Virkkunen, the European Union's technology chief, held a fresh round of talks with Tim Cook this week, according to a European Commission spokesperson quoted by Reuters. The discussions came after the two sides clashed over Apple's delayed rollout of its AI-powered Siri features in Europe.

Last month, EU regulators and Apple engaged in a public dispute over competition rules that the company says have prevented it from launching its upgraded Siri AI across the bloc. As a result, the new AI-powered assistant remains unavailable to iPhone and iPad users in the European Union.

The EU's increasingly stringent technology regulations have also become a point of contention between Brussels and Washington. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized the bloc's tougher digital rules and hefty fines, arguing that they unfairly target American technology companies.

The Cupertino-based tech giant has said that its upgraded Siri AI will remain unavailable on iPhones and iPads in the EU. Apple has also accused the European Commission of failing to engage constructively on ways to ensure user privacy and security while complying with the bloc's interoperability requirements.

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The European Commission, however, has accused Apple of failing to develop the interoperability measures required under the European Union's regulations. Europe accounted for nearly 27% of Apple's total revenue in its most recent fiscal year, although the company does not separately disclose revenue from EU member states.

Apple has argued that compliance with the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) has delayed the rollout of several features in the region, including iPhone Mirroring for Mac, Live Translation with AirPods and certain location-based capabilities in Apple Maps.

The DMA is designed to curb the dominance of major technology companies by making digital markets more competitive, giving rivals greater opportunities to compete and expanding consumer choice. Companies found in violation of the law can face fines of up to 10% of their global annual global turnover.