German Court Upholds Special Antitrust Oversight on Apple

The Federal Court of Justice confirms a five-year regulatory designation, as scrutiny of Apple's practices intensifies under Germany's Federal Cartel Office.

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.