EU court upholds Apple's designation as a 'gatekeeper' under the Digital Markets Act, reinforcing regulatory oversight of its App Store and iOS ecosystem
Executive summary: The EU General Court rejected Apple's appeal against its designation as a gatekeeper under the Digital Markets Act, upholding that Apple's App Store and iOS fall under DMA rules. The ruling reinforces the EU's power to impose interoperability, steering and anti‑steering obligations on Apple, which could affect App Store revenue models and developer relations.
Who is involved: Apple Inc., the European Union's General Court, the European Commission (as DMA enforcer), and iOS app developers.
Likely next: Apple may pursue further appeals to the Court of Justice of the EU or adjust its App Store terms to comply with DMA requirements, while the Commission monitors compliance.
The General Court of the European Union dismissed Apple's legal challenge to its classification as a gatekeeper under the DMA, confirming that the company's App Store and iOS must comply with the act's interoperability and anti‑steering provisions. The decision validates the European Commission's enforcement approach and leaves Apple subject to potential fines and mandatory changes to its app distribution practices. While Apple can still appeal to the Court of Justice of the EU, the ruling tightens the regulatory environment for its mobile ecosystem.
Timeline
- — Le tribunal de l’UE rejette le recours d’Apple contre sa désignation de « contrôleur d’accès » pour l’App Store et iOS (Le Monde — Économie)
- — Chip-Produktion: Apple lässt über 15 Milliarden Chips in den USA produzieren (Handelsblatt)
- — Apple announces chip deal with Broadcom worth more than $30 billion (Yahoo Finance)
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