# EU General Court Rejects Apple's Challenge to Digital Markets Act Gatekeeper Status

*2026-07-09 14:01 UTC · Technology · 1 min read*

> The EU General Court dismissed Apple's challenge to its gatekeeper status, confirming iOS and the App Store must comply with the Digital Markets Act.

The EU General Court in Luxembourg dismissed all of Apple's legal challenges against its "gatekeeper" designation under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) on July 8, 2026, confirming that both iOS and the App Store must comply with the bloc's strict digital competition rules as "core platform services."

The court found the European Commission acted within its authority when it classified Apple's app-distribution platforms as a single core platform service, and ruled that a gatekeeper cannot challenge DMA obligations in the abstract — it must wait for a specific enforcement decision before seeking judicial review. That procedural rule binds all six designated gatekeepers, not just Apple. Judges did throw out one narrower claim over iMessage as inadmissible, since that service was never formally listed under the DMA.

Apple said it "firmly believes the DMA's mandate goes beyond what is lawful and proportionate, threatening to erode decades of privacy and security protections," and may still appeal to the Court of Justice of the EU. The ruling follows similar losses for TikTok and Meta, cementing the DMA's reach over the world's largest tech platforms.

## Sources

- [techxplore.com](https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-apple-eu-digital-competition.html)
- [courthousenews.com](https://www.courthousenews.com/apple-loses-eu-court-fight-over-big-tech-gatekeeper-rules/)

---
TechTools News · https://techtools.cz/tools/news/article/1975-eu-general-court-rejects-apple-s-challenge-to-digital-markets-act-gatekeeper
Česká verze: https://techtools.cz/tools/news/clanek/2048-obecny-soud-eu-zamitl-zalobu-applu-proti-statusu-gatekeepera-podle-aktu-o