In a nutshell: The EU court confirms Apple’s App Store and iOS classification as gatekeepers under the DMA and rejects Apple’s lawsuits on multiple grounds.
The Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled that the European Commission was correct in classifying Apple’s App Store and iOS operating system as digital gatekeepers under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Going forward, Apple must comply with strict compliance requirements.
The European Commission had placed Apple on the list of digital gatekeepers in September 2023, alongside Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet and Meta. The Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg has now confirmed that this classification was lawful. This brings additional obligations for Apple to ensure fair competition in digital markets.
The core of the dispute concerned how Apple’s services should be assessed. The court ruled that the App Store variants for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac and Apple TV constitute a single unified core platform service, not separate independent services. They serve the same purpose: connecting software developers with end users. Apple had argued that the stores should be considered individually – only the iOS App Store would have met the required thresholds on its own. The court rejected this reasoning.
On a second legal front, Apple sued against the classification of iMessage as a “number-independent interpersonal communication service”. The court ruled this claim inadmissible because the classification of iMessage alone does not create binding legal effects that would directly alter Apple’s legal position.
The decision is not final: Apple may appeal to the European Court of Justice. However, with confirmation of the gatekeeper status, Apple must now and until any potential appellate ruling comply with DMA obligations – including ensuring interoperability, fair terms for developers and transparency requirements.
Source: www.it-daily.net · Published 8 July 2026
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