Apple spent two years and presumably several very expensive law firms arguing it shouldn't be called a "gatekeeper" under the EU's Digital Markets Act. The EU General Court's answer, delivered in full, was essentially: nice try.

The Court Says No, Three Times Over

The General Court dismissed all three of Apple's challenges, ruling that Apple's five app stores — spanning iPhone, Mac, Watch, iPad, and Apple TV — count as a single gatekeeper service because they all connect developers to users. The court also declined to even hear Apple's separate iMessage challenge, ruling it inadmissible.

Apple's statement didn't hold back, calling the DMA's mandate unlawful and disproportionate and warning it threatens "decades of privacy and security protections." The company can still appeal to the Court of Justice of the European Union, but for now, the gatekeeper label sticks.

Why This Isn't Just Apple's Problem

This is one of the first major legal stress tests of the DMA, and it just came back fully intact. That's a strong signal to every other designated gatekeeper — Google, Meta, Amazon, and whoever else Brussels has its eye on — that trying to argue your way out of the definition is a losing bet.

Apple still has two more DMA fights pending: one over being forced to open iOS to third-party developers, and another appealing a €500 million fine for anti-steering rules. This ruling doesn't end Apple's European legal saga — it just confirms the foundation everyone's arguing on top of isn't going anywhere.

The walled garden isn't getting torn down, but Brussels just confirmed it's allowed to keep knocking on the gate.

Source: Engadget