EU to probe Siri, Alexa, and friends in new sweeping inquiry
What you need to know
- The EU is launching a sweeping new inquiry.
- It will probe voice assistants like Siri and Alexa.
- EU watchdogs are concerned about competition turning into a monopoly.
The EU is launching a sweeping inquiry into the internet of things and voice assistants like Siri and Alexa.
As reported by Bloomberg:
EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager told reporters that big companies using their power could "very quickly" turn markets from competition into a monopoly. Vestager said that voice assistants were at "the center of it all", specifically naming Siri and Alexa:
According to the report, the EU is seeking information from 400 different companies, regarding everything from voice assistants to fridges, washing machines, and smart TVs. Its findings will be published next year, with a followup in 2022. Vestager continued:
The report notes one such aspect of the issue, voice requests, which often direct users to singular services, for example, until very recently Apple's HomePod has only offered music playback through Apple Music.
You can read the full report here.
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