EU court upholds Apple’s DMA gatekeeper designation
The court rules that Apple’s multiple App Store versions constitute a single core platform service requiring regulatory compliance.
The General Court of the European Union has dismissed Apple’s legal challenges to its designation as a gatekeeper under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The court confirmed that the App Store and iOS qualify as core platform services, meaning Apple must comply with the regulation’s competition obligations.
Apple argued that the different versions of the App Store available across its devices should be treated as separate services. The court rejected that argument, concluding that they all perform the same function of connecting app developers with end users.
The court also dismissed Apple’s claims relating to iMessage as inadmissible. It ruled that the Commission’s decision not to designate iMessage as a core platform service subject to DMA obligations did not produce binding legal effects that Apple could challenge before the courts. The related decisions opening and closing the Commission’s investigation were likewise found to be inadmissible.
The judgement therefore upholds the European Commission’s assessment that the App Store operates as a single core platform service across Apple’s ecosystem. As a result, Apple remains subject to the DMA’s interoperability and fair competition requirements.
The ruling marks an important enforcement milestone for the Digital Markets Act. Apple must continue complying with the obligations imposed under the regulation, which is designed to promote fair competition in digital markets. The judgement was delivered in Luxembourg on 8 July 2026.
Why does it matter?
The ruling strengthens the EU’s enforcement of the Digital Markets Act by confirming the European Commission’s broad interpretation of what constitutes a core platform service. It also signals that courts are prepared to uphold gatekeeper obligations imposed on the largest digital platforms.
For developers and consumers, the decision reinforces the legal basis for measures intended to increase competition within Apple’s ecosystem, including interoperability requirements and greater opportunities for alternative app distribution. More broadly, the judgment may shape future legal challenges brought by other companies designated as gatekeepers under the DMA.
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