EU and Apple hold talks after Siri AI dispute

European technology chief Henna Virkkunen held a ‘constructive’ call with Apple CEO Tim Cook this week, according to a European Commission spokesperson, following a dispute over the rollout of Siri AI in Europe. Apple has said the upgraded assistant will not be available initially for iPhone and iPad users in the EU, blaming competition rules for delaying the launch.

The clash centers on the Digital Markets Act, which Apple says has forced it to postpone several EU features, including iPhone mirroring to Mac, live translation with AirPods and location-based features in Maps. The company has accused the Commission of failing to engage constructively on privacy and security issues, while Brussels says Apple has not developed the interoperability needed to meet EU standards.

The dispute comes amid broader tension between EU capitals and Washington over tougher European tech regulation. U.S. President Donald Trump has criticized the rules and steep fines as harmful to U.S. Big Tech. Europe accounted for nearly 27% of Apple’s total sales in its last fiscal year, and breaches of the DMA can lead to fines of as much as 10% of a company’s global annual turnover.