European Technology Commissioner Henna Virkkunen held a “constructive” discussion with Apple CEO Tim Cook during a video call on Monday, according to a European Commission spokesperson.
The two sides addressed “topics of common interest” and agreed that work on these issues would continue, the spokesperson said on Wednesday. Details of the specific topics discussed were not disclosed.
The meeting comes amid ongoing tensions between Apple and EU regulators over the rollout of the company’s Siri AI assistant. Apple has stated that Siri would not be available initially on iPhones or iPads in the EU, citing concerns over privacy and security. The company has faulted the European Commission for not engaging constructively to address these issues.
For its part, the Commission has blamed Apple, saying the iPhone maker failed to develop the necessary “interoperability” features to comply with EU standards.
The video call represents a potential step toward easing friction as Apple navigates the bloc’s strict digital regulations, including the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Neither side announced any concrete agreements or timelines following the discussion.
MacDailyNews Take: Shockingly, the Digital Markets Act is rife with unintended consequences.
Meddling EU autocrats, not Apple, forced this feature loss on EU users.
We usually prefer the government to be hands-off wherever possible, Laissez-faire… Regulations are static and the marketplace is fluid, so extensive regulations can have unintended, unforeseen results down the road. – MacDailyNews, June 9, 2006
‘Tis shocking that a bloated quasi-governmental bureaucratic blob excretes massive impediments to commerce. Just shocking. – MacDailyNews, February 2, 2024
The Law of Unintended Consequences is ironclad. – MacDailyNews, February 14, 2024
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[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
