EU General Court dismisses Apple's challenges to Digital Markets Act
Quick Look
- The EU General Court has dismissed Apple's legal challenges against the Digital Markets Act (DMA), upholding its designation as a gatekeeper for the App Store and iOS.
- The ruling strengthens EU antitrust regulators' position against Big Tech.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The EU Digital Markets Act (DMA) imposes rules on Big Tech companies, with potential fines up to 10% of global annual turnover. Apple, Meta, and ByteDance have challenged its implementation.
The EU Digital Markets Act (DMA), which sets out a list of dos and don’ts for Big Tech with the threat of fines of as much as 10 per cent of a company’s global annual turnover, has triggered legal challenges by Apple, Meta and ByteDance since it took effect in May 2023.
The ruling by the Luxembourg-based General Court will strengthen the position of EU antitrust regulators as they attempt to make space for rivals and give Europeans more choice.
“The General Court dismisses Apple’s actions regarding its designation as a gatekeeper in relation to the App Store and iOS,” the tribunal said.
It also said that Apple’s actions regarding the iMessage service are inadmissible.
Apple reiterated its criticism of the DMA.
“We firmly believe the DMA’s mandate goes beyond what is lawful and proportionate, threatening to erode decades of privacy and security protections we’ve built and leaving our users vulnerable to new risks,” an Apple spokesperson said.
Open Questions
- Will other Big Tech companies face similar rulings?
- How will Apple adapt its App Store and iOS policies?
