EU court rejects Apple’s challenge over App Store, iOS

Judges at the EU’s General Court in Luxembourg upheld regulators’ decision to bring both services under the scope of the Digital Markets Act (DMA)

A European Union court rejected Apple’s challenge to rules that classify its App Store and mobile operating system iOS as gatekeepers subject to sweeping competition obligations.

Judges at the EU’s General Court in Luxembourg upheld regulators’ decision to bring both services under the scope of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), a landmark law that sets out a list of obligations for large technology platforms and carries potential fines of up to 10% of a company’s worldwide annual turnover.

The General Court dismisses Apple’s actions regarding its designation as a gatekeeper in relation to the App Store and iOS, the tribunal said, confirming that regulators were right to target both services under the rules.

The ruling comes roughly a week after Google lost its long-running fight against a record EU antitrust fine over allegations that it used its Android mobile operating system to squeeze out rivals.

Apple attempted to contest the law on several fronts, including its obligation to make rival hardware compatible with the iPhone, the inclusion of its highly profitable App Store under the rules, and a probe into whether iMessage should face similar requirements, a proceeding it ultimately escaped. The court ruled that Apple’s challenge regarding its iMessage service was inadmissible.

Apple can appeal the ruling on points of law to the Court of Justice of the European Union, the bloc’s highest court. The company had taken its case to the General Court in 2024 after the European Commission designated its App Stores across iPhones, iPads, Mac computers, Apple TVs and Apple Watches as a single core platform service under the Digital Markets Act, but judges sided with the regulator.

The latest decision comes as Brussels regulators pursue Silicon Valley firms under the DMA.