Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Apple is mounting a legal appeal against the European Union’s €500 million fine under the Digital Markets Act, positioning the case as the largest court test yet of the bloc’s strategy to rein in Big Tech.
Apple on September 25 2025 filed a formal appeal against a €500 million sanction imposed by the European Union for allegedly flouting the Digital Markets Act.
The fine, levied in April after Apple was found to have barred app‐developers from steering users to cheaper alternatives outside the App Store, marks one of the first major enforcement actions under the landmark legislation.
In its court filing, Apple argued that the European Commission’s decision “goes far beyond what the law requires” and warned that the regulators’ interpretation would force the firm to give away technology and reshape its App Store model to the detriment of users and developers.
The company further claimed that the rule changes it has implemented to comply still leave it exposed to daily penalties of up to five per cent of global turnover if it is found to lack full adherence.
EU officials have dismissed calls to scale back the regulation, stating that the Digital Markets Act safeguards consumer choice and ensures gatekeepers like Apple cannot “quash competition at the expense of Europe’s open digital economy”.
The fine is now set to become the focal point of a courtroom confrontation that could determine how far Brussels can press U.S. tech companies on Day-to-day business models.
As the matter proceeds to the General Court of the European Union, industry observers note that the outcome will serve as a precedent not only for Apple but for all so-called gatekeeper platforms subject to the Digital Markets Act.
A ruling in Apple’s favour could limit the EU’s enforcement reach; a loss would reinforce Brussels’ capacity to reshape digital market structures and open new pathways for developers and rivals in app ecosystems.
Stakeholders are now watching the schedules for oral hearings, expected in early 2026, and how Apple adjusts its business architecture while the dispute runs.
For Apple, the appeal represents more than a financial fight — it is a strategic defence of the App Store ecosystem that underpins its device business and services growth.
For Brussels, the case offers its first full legal test of the Digital Markets Act’s teeth and could reshape regulatory power in the global tech sector.
The fine, levied in April after Apple was found to have barred app‐developers from steering users to cheaper alternatives outside the App Store, marks one of the first major enforcement actions under the landmark legislation.
In its court filing, Apple argued that the European Commission’s decision “goes far beyond what the law requires” and warned that the regulators’ interpretation would force the firm to give away technology and reshape its App Store model to the detriment of users and developers.
The company further claimed that the rule changes it has implemented to comply still leave it exposed to daily penalties of up to five per cent of global turnover if it is found to lack full adherence.
EU officials have dismissed calls to scale back the regulation, stating that the Digital Markets Act safeguards consumer choice and ensures gatekeepers like Apple cannot “quash competition at the expense of Europe’s open digital economy”.
The fine is now set to become the focal point of a courtroom confrontation that could determine how far Brussels can press U.S. tech companies on Day-to-day business models.
As the matter proceeds to the General Court of the European Union, industry observers note that the outcome will serve as a precedent not only for Apple but for all so-called gatekeeper platforms subject to the Digital Markets Act.
A ruling in Apple’s favour could limit the EU’s enforcement reach; a loss would reinforce Brussels’ capacity to reshape digital market structures and open new pathways for developers and rivals in app ecosystems.
Stakeholders are now watching the schedules for oral hearings, expected in early 2026, and how Apple adjusts its business architecture while the dispute runs.
For Apple, the appeal represents more than a financial fight — it is a strategic defence of the App Store ecosystem that underpins its device business and services growth.
For Brussels, the case offers its first full legal test of the Digital Markets Act’s teeth and could reshape regulatory power in the global tech sector.
