Apple’s attempt to overturn the European Union’s classification of its App Stores and iOS platform as “gatekeepers” has been rejected by Europe’s highest court. The General Court in Luxembourg dismissed Apple’s appeal against the European Commission’s decision to label its five App Stores—on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Watch—as a single core platform service under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). This designation imposes strict obligations, including prohibiting Apple from prioritizing its own services over those of competitors and requiring the company to allow alternative app stores. Additionally, the EU’s classification of iOS as a gateway platform mandates that the operating system enables interoperability with rival services. Apple’s challenge regarding the classification of iMessage as a number-independent interpersonal communications service was also deemed inadmissible by the court. To be designated as a “gatekeeper” under the DMA, a company must meet specific criteria, such as having EU sales of at least €7.5 billion or a market capitalization of €75 billion, along with more than 45 million monthly active users and over 10,000 active business users annually within the EU.
Has Apple lost its EU battle over the App Store gatekeeper label?
