Apple decided not to roll out Siri in EU after denied request for exemption

What commenters are saying

Commenters view Apple's position as a straightforward choice: the company requested an 18-month exemption to comply with EU regulations, was denied, and chose not to launch rather than meet the deadline. One commenter notes Apple lacks the money constraint to comply but chooses not to, while another argues outcome-based EU regulations create genuine uncertainty since enforcement depends on post-launch interpretation rather than technical checklists. Discussion reveals a fundamental philosophical divide: US-style law prefers unambiguous written rules, while EU law emphasizes intent and good-faith compliance, interpreting laws teleologically rather than literally. A commenter notes the contradiction in Apple's privacy messaging given it cannot comply with the EU's stricter privacy framework.

Several threads address whether regulatory complexity is inherent or self-inflicted: one suggests Apple's product design should have considered EU law upfront, while another argues privacy law and privacy-friendly product design are orthogonal, and even well-intentioned products can conflict with complex legal requirements.