EU Court Says No to Apple: iOS and App Stores Remain Gatekeepers

Apple has lost the lawsuit against the EU regarding the DMA and the designations of "gatekeepers" for its app stores and for iOS, which are required, as stipulated by European regulations, to allow space for competition while adhering to a set of specific limitations. Failure to comply with the DMA involves fines of up to 10% of the global annual revenue of the non-compliant company (which for Apple amounts to enormous figures).

Rejected Apple’s Appeal

The decision of the competent court on Apple’s appeal has reinforced the EU's position on the matter. As reported by Reuters, "The General Court rejects Apple's actions regarding its designation as the gatekeeper of the App Store and iOS." Apple, which must comply with the decisions to avoid sanctions, has expressed new criticisms on the issue: "We firmly believe that the DMA mandate goes beyond what is legal and proportionate, threatening to erode decades of privacy and security protections we have built and leaving our users vulnerable to new risks."

For the moment, Apple’s App Stores, which are considered a single service, and iOS remain subject to the DMA, even though the Cupertino company will present an additional appeal to the Court of Justice of the European Union.

It is noteworthy that the court declared the appeals regarding iMessage inadmissible, as it was not deemed a gatekeeper. Consequently, Apple, which had appealed against the EU's definition that classified the application as an interpersonal communication service, has nothing to contest.