The EU has been revamping its privacy laws for a number of years, giving the bloc's residents a fairly robust toolkit to protect their identity and privacy. However, those same stringent requirements are now preventing Apple from rolling out the live translation feature of its AirPods Pro 3 in the region.
To wit, Apple has now declared on its feature availability page that live translation - a highlight feature of the AirPods Pro 3 - won't launch in the EU for now:
"Live Translation with AirPods is not available if you are in the EU and your Apple Account Country or Region is also in the EU."
While details are scarce at the moment, it remains a plausible inference that EU authorities want further clarity on the feature's privacy-related implications and the cloud data that is uploaded to Apple servers as a result. As such, EU authorities might bar Apple from uploading live translation-related data to cloud servers beyond the bloc's jurisdiction.
There is, after all, a precedence for such action. By leveraging its privacy-focused GDPR rulebook, the EU had imposed a 1.2 billion euro fine on Meta back in 2023 for improperly transferring the personal data of EU citizens to servers in the US.
For the benefit of those who might not be aware, Apple's new AirPods Pro 3 feature smaller earbuds that offer a better fit, an improved spatial listening experience, up to 2x more effective noise cancelation, live translation powered by Apple Intelligence, a heart rate sensor, an 8-hour long battery, and IP57 sweat and water resistance, all for just $249.
About the author: Writing is my one incontrovertible passion. Over the past six years, he has authored over 2,200 distinct articles on financial and tech-related topics, spanning nearly 1 million words. And he has been a member of Wcctech mobile team since 2025. As an alumnus of the University of Toronto, Rotman Commerce Program, I bring nuance, in-depth knowledge, and a unique perspective to every topic that I cover. When I'm not writing, I'm traveling the world, exploring hidden confectionaries and restaurants as an aspiring food connoisseur.
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