Apple and European Commission Hold Talks on Blocking Siri AI Features in the EU

Apple CEO Tim Cook and European Commission Vice President Henna Virkkunen, who oversees digital regulation in the European Union, held a video call on June 30, 2026 — both sides called the negotiations "constructive," although Siri's AI features in Europe remain blocked.

What the parties agreed on

The outcome of the negotiations was not formally disclosed: both Apple and the European Commission limited themselves to the word "constructive." Virkkunen oversees the body of rules for digital regulation in the EU, under which Apple falls as one of the largest technology companies operating in the European market.

Why Siri's AI features don't work in Europe

Due to the requirements of European digital legislation, Apple has not yet been able to launch full-fledged Siri AI features in the EU, which are available to users in other regions. The June 30 video call was one of the attempts by both parties to find a compromise — without specifying specific timeframes for resolving the issue.

• Date of negotiations — June 30, 2026
• Participants — Tim Cook (Apple) and Henna Virkkunen (European Commission)
• Public outcome — negotiations named "constructive"
• Status of Siri AI features in the EU — remain blocked

Why the dispute is dragging on

Although the phrase "constructive negotiations" sounds optimistic, the participants did not name either the timeframe for lifting restrictions or specific conditions under which Apple could launch Siri AI features in the European Union. This is a typical picture of protracted regulatory disputes between major American technology companies and Brussels: the public statements of the parties remain vague until a concrete agreement is reached, and the process itself can drag on for months. The fact that the negotiations took place at the level of Apple's first person and the EU's digital regulation curator itself signals the significance of the issue for both sides — Tim Cook rarely personally participates in such video calls on regional regulatory disputes.

What this means

While Apple and the European Commission seek a compromise, Apple device users in the European Union remain without a full-fledged Siri AI assistant available in the USA and other regions. The absence of public timeframes suggests that the issue is still far from resolution — and the next round of contact between the parties should be expected without guarantees of the feature's swift launch in Europe. For other major technology companies developing their own AI assistants, Apple's situation serves as a vivid example of how strict European digital regulation can affect the timeline for launching flagship AI features in a specific market.