Apple experienced a legal defeat in its battle against the European Union's significant Digital Markets Act (DMA), as the EU's second-highest court rejected the company's appeal regarding its classification as a "gatekeeper" for the App Store and iOS, according to reports.
In a judgment issued on Wednesday, the General Court in Luxembourg confirmed the European Commission's classification of Apple's App Store ecosystem and iPhone operating system under the DMA, imposing various obligations on the company to enhance competition in digital markets.
The court announced that Apple's challenges to its gatekeeper classification for the App Store and iOS were rejected. It also determined that the firm's actions regarding its messaging platform iMessage were unacceptable.
Apple contested the European Commission's ruling after the regulator classified its App Stores on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Watch as a unified core platform service under the DMA. The firm claimed that the classification placed significant regulatory duties on its ecosystem.
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The manufacturer of the iPhone also disagreed with the Commission's choice to label iOS as a crucial channel for businesses to access consumers. Under the DMA, gatekeepers must enhance the interoperability of their platforms, granting competing services and developers improved access to their ecosystems.
Apple had independently aimed to challenge the categorization of iMessage according to EU regulations on number-independent personal communication services. The General Court, however, decided that the challenge could not move forward.
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The Digital Markets Act, implemented to limit the market dominance of the biggest tech firms globally, establishes various responsibilities for identified gatekeepers.
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These encompass actions aimed at enhancing the openness of digital platforms, boosting consumer options, and establishing a fairer environment for competing developers and service providers.