Apple loses German antitrust appeal, opening door for greater controls

Reuters

Tue, Mar 18, 2025, 3:11 AM 1 min read

KARLSRUHE, Germany (Reuters) - Apple mislaid an entreaty connected Tuesday against a regulatory appraisal that opens the iPhone shaper up to stricter controls successful Germany, the Federal Court of Justice ruled connected Tuesday, pursuing years of statement implicit the company's marketplace position.

Federal judges backed the German cartel office's 2023 designation of Apple arsenic a "company of paramount cross-market value for competition".

With that, Apple joins Google genitor Alphabet and Facebook proprietor Meta connected Germany's increasing database of tech giants taxable to imaginable measures curbing their dominance.

A justice had indicated successful January that the tribunal would broadside with the regulator.

The tribunal besides declined to consult with the European Court of Justice successful Luxembourg connected the case, arsenic requested by Apple's ineligible team.

Apple's App Store has faced peculiar scrutiny successful Europe, wherever regulators person flagged concerns implicit the wealthiness of information it gathers connected idiosyncratic behaviour.

(Reporting by Ursula Knapp, penning by Rachel More, editing by Thomas Seythal)