Apple has lost a significant case in Luxembourg over the European Union’s Digital Markets Act. The General Court rejected the company’s challenge to the “gatekeeper” designation applied to iOS and the App Store, confirming that the European Commission acted within the law.
The ruling is important because the DMA was designed to curb the market power of large technology companies and stop them from using closed ecosystems to block rivals or impose unfair terms. In Apple’s case, the court dismissed its objections to the iPhone platform and the App Store, and it also found the company’s arguments about iMessage to be legally inadmissible.
Apple said it believes the law threatens existing safety and privacy standards, and it plans to appeal to the Court of Justice of the European Union. The outcome strengthens EU regulators and could affect how Apple operates in Europe, especially in relation to app distribution and platform control.