Apple’s control over iOS remains under pressure after a major courtroom defeat in Europe.
General Court judges on July 8 upheld the company’s “gatekeeper” status for iOS and the App Store under the Digital Markets Act, the EU’s landmark antitrust rulebook for the largest digital platforms. The decision keeps the iPhone maker subject to requirements that can force changes in how outside apps and services access its ecosystem.
Users and app businesses will now watch how regulators apply the law and whether the company is ordered to open more of iOS.
Court rejects challenges over App Store and iMessage
Apple’s case challenged three parts of the European Commission’s 2023 decision. The company sought to overturn the Digital Markets Act designation covering iOS and the App Store, and it disputed how iMessage had been classified. Success would have reduced the law’s reach across its ecosystem.
On the App Store, the company told the court that stores for iPhones, iPads, Macs and other devices should count as separate services because they operate on different hardware and serve different patterns of use.
All five stores serve the same function, according to the judgment. Each connects developers with customers and distributes apps, while differences between devices were not enough to treat the stores separately.
The iMessage claim also failed. Since the messaging service was never placed under the stricter requirements, the court found that its classification had no legal effect. No new obligations apply to iMessage because of the decision.
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Apple can still challenge the ruling
Apple can ask the EU Court of Justice to review the judgment, but only on questions of law.
According to Reuters, a spokesperson said the requirements go beyond what is “lawful and proportionate” and could leave users “vulnerable to new risks.” Apple maintains that opening iOS to competing products could weaken privacy and security protections.
One dispute remains unresolved. General Court judges did not decide whether specific requirements for iOS to work more closely with rival products go too far because the complaint targeted the wrong decision. Another case remains possible if the Commission issues an order spelling out required changes.
What iPhone users should watch next
If the company challenges the decision and loses, iOS and the App Store would remain subject to the EU’s Digital Markets Act. Regulators could then continue to set requirements for how third-party services work with iPhones, including app access and connections to third-party products.
Developers serving EU customers would have firmer ground on which to plan products around the law. Fees and technical restrictions would determine whether smaller companies gain a real route to users or remain dependent on terms set by the platform owner.
European iPhone users will be watching to see whether future changes bring more choice without weakening the privacy and security protections the company says rely on tighter controls.
Google’s final EU loss puts Android’s app defaults and search dominance back under regulatory pressure.