European Union

With the release of iOS 18.1 beta 2, Apple has apparently opened up access to Apple Intelligence for English speakers located in the European Union, something that was not possible in previous versions. One of the reasons Apple limited region access to Apple Intelligence was that it only supports US English. Another reason Apple Intelligence was previously not available in the EU was because ...

Despite pushback from Apple, the European Parliament in January voted overwhelmingly for new rules to establish a common charging standard for mobile device makers across the European Union. This article explores what form the EU laws might ultimately take and how they could affect Apple device users in Europe and elsewhere. What Exactly is the EU Calling For? To reduce cost, electronic...

U.S. President Donald Trump today said on Truth Social that his administration plans to launch an investigation into fines the European Union has levied against tech companies like Apple, Google, and Meta for violating antitrust and Digital Markets Act rules. Trump called the European Union's conduct "illegal and highly unethical," vowing to get the penalties reversed and planning to...

Google was today fined €890 million ($1 billion) by the European Union for breaching antitrust rules with regard to its search and Google Play store services. The European Commission found that Google had broken the Digital Markets Act (DMA) by using its dominant position in the search market to favour its own services, like shopping and hotel deals, over those of rivals. The Commission ...

The European Commission today formally ordered Google to give third-party AI services the same access to Android device features that Gemini has. Europe's Digital Markets Act requires software makers like Apple and Google to grant equal interoperability to third-party apps and services, and the EC is enforcing it. DMA interoperability rules are why Siri AI won't be available in the European...

The European Commission yesterday adopted new exemptions to its Batteries Regulation that free the Apple Watch and AirPods from having to offer user-removable and replaceable batteries. The EU's Batteries Regulation generally requires consumer products sold in the region to let users swap out their own batteries, a push meant to keep devices in use longer and make it easier to recover...

Apple is developing a new API that will let third-party accessories, including Meta's Ray-Ban ‌Meta‌ glasses and Quest headsets, automatically pair across a user's Apple devices the same way AirPods and the Apple Watch do today, according to Apple's EU Interoperability Request page. The plan responds to a request ‌Meta‌ filed in October 2025 under the EU's Digital Markets Act, asking Apple...

Meta has been warned by the European Commission that its endlessly scrolling Facebook and Instagram feeds may violate the EU's new Digital Services Act rules. In preliminary findings published on Friday, the Commission said that its investigation into features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, and highly personalized recommender systems, found that Meta "did not...

Apple's challenge against the EU's designation of its App Stores and iOS platform as "gatekeepers" was dismissed by Europe's top court on Wednesday, reports Reuters. "The General Court dismisses Apple's actions regarding its designation as a gatekeeper in relation to the App Store and iOS," the Luxembourg-based tribunal said.Apple took its case to Luxembourg's General Court in 2024 after the...

Apple CEO Tim Cook held "constructive" talks with EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen on Tuesday about releasing Siri AI in the bloc while complying with the bloc's digital rules, reports the Financial Times ($). An EU spokesperson told the publication the virtual meeting had involved a "constructive exchange on topics of common interest, on which the work continues." Siri AI will be available...

Italy's competition regulator said on Tuesday it had launched an investigation into Apple over its compliance with interoperability obligations as set out in the European Digital Markets Act (DMA). Under the DMA, Apple must ensure that third-party providers of consumer cloud services can interoperate effectively and free of charge with Apple's iOS and iPadOS software platforms. The rules...

Apple announced a range of new iOS 27 features at WWDC this week, but some of them won't be available in the European Union at launch. The biggest glaring omission is Siri AI on iPhone and iPad. Apple says the new chatbot-style ‌Siri‌ experience, the dedicated ‌Siri‌ app for revisiting conversations, expanded Visual Intelligence features, integrated Writing Tools, and the new ‌Siri‌ mode in...

iOS 27 has a new "Tap to Share" feature that lets merchants use their iPhone to connect to a customer's device with an NFC tap for the purpose of data exchange. This is useful for small business owners, vendors at local markets, and so forth. Tap to Share is an extension of the existing Tap to Pay on iPhone feature, which lets merchants accept contactless payments on an iPhone, with no...

The European Commission has responded to Apple's announcement that Siri AI will not launch in the EU, saying the decision is entirely Apple's and that the company sought an exemption from its legal obligations rather than a compliant solution. Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier told reporters in Brussels (via Reuters) that Apple had failed to develop interoperability solutions meeting EU ...

The new enhanced Siri AI features that Apple announced today at WWDC 2026 will not be available in the European Union or in China when they are released in beta later this year. Apple said that while Siri AI will be available for free with the new upcoming OS releases, it will not be available in the EU on iOS and iPadOS until it can find a path forward for regulatory approval. Apple said ...

Apple has stepped in to warn that EU proposals to force Google to open Android to competing AI services pose serious risks to user privacy, security, and safety. Apple's latest submission to the EU comes (via Reuters) in response to the European Commission's call for feedback on draft measures designed to help Google comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The proposals would allow...

iOS 26.5 introduces several interoperability changes for third-party wearables, which means European iPhone users have access to new capabilities when using non-Apple accessories. To comply with the EU's Digital Markets Act, Apple is letting third-party wearables access some features that have historically been limited to the Apple Watch and AirPods. Proximity pairing - Third-party...

Apple objected to a European trademark filing from a Chinese keyboard maker because the logo the company wanted to use was too close to Apple's own logo. The EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) partially refused to grant a European Union Trade Mark after Apple opposed the filing. The company, Yichun Qinningmeng Electronics Co., makes mechanical keyboards and keycaps, according to its...

As part of its interoperability compliance in the EU, Apple has been working on changes to iOS that allow AirPods-like pairing and notification forwarding for third-party wearables on iPhone. In the iOS 26.5 beta released on Monday, Apple added Live Activities forwarding, and the company has now revised its Developer Program License Agreement with new rules on how the forwarding features should...

For the last several months, Apple has been working on interoperability changes that are set to be implemented in the European Union to comply with the Digital Markets Act. Apple is developing AirPods-like pairing and notification forwarding for third-party wearables. Testing on these features started back in iOS 26.3 and continued in iOS 26.4, but the options have not yet launched. Apple is ...

A coalition of Europe's biggest broadcasters is pushing the EU to bring smart TV platforms like Apple TV and virtual assistants like Siri under the bloc's toughest tech regulation, reports Reuters. The Association of Commercial Television and Video on Demand Services in Europe (ACT), whose members include Disney, NBCUniversal, Paramount+, and Sky, sent a letter on Monday to EU antitrust...

The AppleCare One trademark was today registered with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), suggesting Apple's subscription for customers to cover multiple devices with a single plan could soon be expanding outside the United States. Apple launched AppleCare One in the U.S. in July 2025. The plan starts at $19.99 per month and covers up to three products, with additional...