Privacy and security
Privacy as a marketing argument and as an architectural choice. Here I follow the announcements on data protection, security and transparency — especially at the delicate point where on-device and cloud AI meet. What Apple promises and how it holds up technically.
9to5Mac notes the 2026 keynote devoted more than ten minutes to child safety and Screen Time — an unusual amount of time for policy topics that previously received marginal mention. The format has changed structurally.
Apple clarified that Siri AI cloud processing runs on its own servers hosted on Google's infrastructure, but with an architecture that keeps data inaccessible to both Apple and third parties.
The first iOS 27 developer beta introduces the ability to temporarily pause location sharing with selected people in Find My, without disabling it globally.
Brussels distances itself from Apple's decision not to launch Siri AI on iOS and iPadOS in the EU, clarifying that the company sought an exemption from legal obligations rather than developing compliant solutions.
With the new Siri AI app, users can choose how long conversation history is retained: 30 days, one year, or never. An explicit data retention control Apple frames as a transparency guarantee.
At the WWDC 2026 entrance, a protester with a microphone demonstrated against Apple, accusing the company of not doing enough to combat non-consensual deepfake pornography, as governments worldwide increase pressure on tech giants.
After the keynote, Apple updated its press release clarifying that Siri AI will not be available in the EU on iOS 27, iPadOS 27, or watchOS 27. Only macOS Golden Gate and visionOS 27 are exempt from the block.
iOS 27 introduces child accounts as a mandatory system for under-13s, with age-calibrated protections active at the system level. Parents control contacts, apps, websites and time limits; children can request exceptions. A direct response to global legislative pressure.
Apple has opened parental control APIs to developers, letting third-party apps enforce the same age-based restrictions as the system. "Ask to Browse" requests now arrive directly in Messages.
Apple brings end-to-end encryption to RCS messages in iOS 27, closing a long-standing security gap compared to iMessage. The feature launches initially in developer beta.
Not only do European end users not receive Siri AI on iOS 27 and iPadOS 27: developers based in the EU cannot integrate or test the new Siri AI features during development of their own apps.
Apple expands protections for minors with a feature requiring parental approval before accessing new websites, and extends Communication Safety — already active for nudity — to violent and gore content.
Craig Federighi stated at WWDC 2026 that data processed by Siri AI is used exclusively to execute the user's request, and that external experts can verify this promise at any time.
Apple has announced a child account system separate from Screen Time: mandatory under 13, optional up to 18, enabling age-calibrated system-wide protections. Parents can approve contacts, apps, and websites one by one.
In iOS 27, the Passwords app uses Apple Intelligence and Safari to autonomously navigate websites and update weak or compromised credentials. One tap is all it takes.
Apple clarifies the geographic rollout of Siri AI in Europe: the DMA blocks launch on iOS and iPadOS in the EU, but macOS Golden Gate, watchOS 27 and visionOS 27 are not subject to the same regulatory constraint.
Apple unveiled Time Allowance for per-category app limits and Screen Time Schedule for time-of-day access controls, giving parents far more granular management of children's device use.
Ahead of the keynote, Apple previewed an accessibility suite including AI-generated descriptions in VoiceOver and Magnifier, on-device automatic video captions, and a new FaceTime API for live sign language interpretation.
The new iOS, iPadOS and macOS releases
Apple Intelligence and the new Siri
Xcode, Swift and the tools for those who build
The visual language and interfaces
visionOS and spatial computing
Health, fitness and watchOS
iCloud, Continuity and the ecosystem