Key facts
- Europe's General Court dismissed Apple's challenge against its designation as a gatekeeper under the Digital Markets Act.
- The ruling applies to Apple's App Stores and its iOS operating system.
- Apple's challenge regarding its iMessage service was deemed inadmissible.
- The court found Apple's argument that DMA interoperability obligations violated fundamental rights to be without direct legal connection to the designation decision.
- The court rejected Apple's attempt to classify its five App Stores as separate services.
Europe's General Court has dismissed Apple's legal challenge against its designation as a 'gatekeeper' under the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA). The landmark EU rules subject large tech companies to strict obligations to ensure fairer competition.
The Luxembourg-based tribunal ruled that Apple's App Stores on iPhones, iPads, Mac computers, Apple TVs, and Apple Watches, along with its iOS operating system, were correctly identified as core platform services. Apple had contested this designation, arguing it should not be subject to the DMA's stringent requirements.
Furthermore, the court found Apple's separate challenge concerning its iMessage service to be inadmissible. The iPhone maker had disputed iMessage's classification as a number-independent interpersonal communications service (NIICS), which could bring it under EU telecoms regulations.
The court threw out Apple’s argument that the DMA’s interoperability obligations violated its fundamental rights without ruling on the substance, finding the provision had no direct legal connection to the designation decision. It also rejected Apple’s bid to have its five App Stores treated as separate services, stating they all serve the same purpose of connecting developers with end users regardless of the device.
Apple, which has filed five separate legal challenges against the Commission under the regulation, was designated as a gatekeeper in September 2023. The company stated it believed the DMA goes too far, threatening privacy and security protections, but did not say if it planned to appeal.
Two other Apple cases remain pending: a challenge to the Commission’s March 2025 decision requiring Apple to open iOS to third-party developers, and an appeal against the €500 million fine imposed in April 2025 for anti-steering violations. Wednesday’s ruling follows similar judgments for Meta and ByteDance.