Overview

• Germany's Federal Court of Justice has upheld the Federal Cartel Office's decision to place Apple under a special abuse control regime for five years.
• The regime aims to address anti-competitive practices by companies with significant market power, such as Apple's vertically integrated ecosystem.
• The Federal Cartel Office is investigating whether Apple's App Tracking Transparency framework constitutes prohibited self-preferencing.
• Apple maintains that its business model prioritizes user privacy and security, disputing the ruling and claiming it faces strong competition in Germany.
• Other tech giants, including Google, Meta, and Microsoft, are also subject to similar regulatory scrutiny under Germany’s special abuse control measures.