Apple Loses Challenge Against EU Digital Competition Rules

Apple's attempt to sidestep the European Union's stringent digital competition rules has failed, as an EU court on Wednesday rejected the tech giant's challenge. The Luxembourg-based court confirmed Apple's designation as a "gatekeeper" under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) concerning its iOS operating system and App Store.

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The General Court dismisses all the actions brought by Apple. It confirms the designation of Apple as a gatekeeper in relation to the App Store and iOS.

The court's ruling means Apple's core services, including the App Store and iOS, will continue to face extra scrutiny. The DMA imposes a set of rules designed to ensure a more open online environment by regulating the practices of large digital platforms. Apple had been a vocal critic of the law, arguing that its mandates exceed lawful and proportionate measures and could compromise user privacy and security.

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We firmly believe the DMA's mandate goes beyond what is lawful and proportionate, threatening to erode decades of privacy and security protections we've built and leaving our users vulnerable to new risks.

In its defense, Apple stated, "We firmly believe the DMA's mandate goes beyond what is lawful and proportionate, threatening to erode decades of privacy and security protections we've built and leaving our users vulnerable to new risks." The company pledged to continue advocating for innovation and privacy for its European customers.

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We will continue advocating for the innovation and privacy our European customers deserve.

The court also dismissed Apple's challenge related to iMessage, finding that the service does not fall under the DMA's obligations as it was not designated a "gateway" service. A separate case concerning interoperability under the DMA is still pending. This decision marks another victory for the European Commission, the EU's digital watchdog, following similar rejections of challenges by TikTok and Meta.

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None of the obligations laid down by the DMA applies to iMessage since that service has not been listed in a designation decision as an important gateway.