EU Court Upholds DMA Rules for Apple’s App Store and iOS

Overview

• The General Court rejected Apple’s appeal on July 8, 2026, confirming that the App Store and iOS meet the EU Digital Markets Act’s gatekeeper criteria.
• Judges agreed that Apple’s five app stores across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV and Apple Watch form a single essential platform, which subjects the company to DMA obligations such as non-preferential treatment and interoperability requirements.
• The court explicitly ruled that iMessage is not covered by the gatekeeper decision because the service was not included in the Commission’s designation.
• Apple said it will keep contesting the law and may appeal to the Court of Justice of the European Union, and the App Store is separately fighting a contested €500 million fine under DMA enforcement.
• If enforced, the ruling could widen developer access to iPhone users and increase consumer choice while giving EU regulators clear authority to impose fines of up to 10% of global turnover and likely intensifying transatlantic regulatory tensions.