Apple Hit by UK Abuses Ruling, EU DMA Fight

Apple is facing legal pressure on multiple fronts in Europe after a UK court recently ruled it abused App Store dominance, with claimants seeking more than £1.5 billion in damages. Two civil-rights groups have filed a complaint with the European Commission under the EU’s Digital Markets Act, arguing Apple’s App Store and iOS/iPadOS terms — including a €1 million standby letter of credit for developers — undermine interoperability and disadvantage SMEs, and urging DMA penalties that can reach up to 10% of global revenue. Separately, Apple has launched a broad challenge at the EU General Court in Luxembourg, arguing the DMA unlawfully imposes onerous obligations that jeopardize user security, privacy and intellectual property by forcing interoperability with rival hardware and by treating the App Store and iMessage as covered services. EU regulators counter that Apple’s “walled garden” business model stifles competition and harms consumers; Brussels has already imposed a €500 million fine for alleged DMA breaches, which Apple is contesting. The unfolding cases crystallize a transnational clash over how to balance competition rules, platform security and developer access, with potential industry-wide repercussions and significant fines at stake.