EU Reviews Apple Ads and Maps for Gatekeeper Status

Apple has informed the European Commission  (EU) that its Ads and Maps services satisfy the conditions laid out under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), a move that could bring them under stricter regulatory oversight.

According to Reuters, the notification arrived on 27 November, prompting the regulators to assess whether these services deserve the “gatekeeper” label. The Commission now has a window of 45 working days to review Apple’s submission before issuing a decision.

Under the DMA, a “core platform service” may be designated a gatekeeper if it hits certain thresholds: at least 45 million monthly active users along with a minimum market capitalisation of 75 billion euros, or meets criteria such as serving a large number of business users depending on the service type.

If Apple is designated a gatekeeper, it would be required to align with a range of obligations under the DMA within 6 months. Such obligations often involve measures meant to promote fairness and openness in digital markets.

For instance, companies designated as gatekeepers must treat third-party competitors equitably and must refrain from using their dominant position to unfairly disadvantage rivals. The DMA aims to curb monopolistic practices by big tech firms, making digital markets more competitive and giving businesses more freedom to reach customers without depending solely on the dominant platforms.

Apple’s submission does not mean the gatekeeper status is final. The company is contesting the designation, arguing that Apple Ads is not a major player in the EU advertising market when compared with rivals like Google or Meta, and that Apple Maps has relatively limited adoption in Europe compared with other mapping platforms.

The outcome of this review could matter significantly for Apple’s operations across Europe. If the Commission deems Apple Ads or Apple Maps as gatekeepers, Apple might need to make substantial changes to how these services operate.