Apple was unable to escape the status of "gatekeeper" in the EU
Apple lost a court case with the European Commission. During the proceedings, the corporation, among other things, tried to prove that it could not be fully classified as a "gatekeeper"—owners of digital platforms controlling the affairs within their segment.
Recall that Apple was granted this status in 2023 concerning three of its products: the iOS operating system, the App Store, and the Safari browser. The corporation was not satisfied with this. The issue was that "gatekeepers" are required to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA), and in case of violation, they are subject to a fine of up to 10% of their annual turnover to the EU treasury.
Specifically, due to non-compliance with this law, Apple was later fined $500 million. Ultimately, in the summer of 2025, Apple had to change the App Store rules within the EU to avoid further fines.
Nonetheless, until recently, Apple hoped it could at least partially escape the scope of the DMA. For example, it argued that App Store versions for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV are separate services, and only one of them—App Store for the iPhone—could be considered a conditional "gatekeeper." The court did not support the corporation's arguments.
"Irrespective of the devices, these stores pursue the same objective, namely—linking developers with users to facilitate the distribution of apps," the court's ruling stated.
Apple representatives informed the media that they disagree with the decision.