The EU signals Apple Maps and Ads may now be large enough to count as DMA gatekeepers

Two additional pillars of Apple’s ecosystem—specifically Maps and Ads —might now be substantial enough to earn the “gatekeeper” label under the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) . The EU has announced  that it received notifications from Cupertino stating that these services meet the necessary regulatory thresholds . Regulators now have a 45-day window to determine if Apple will officially receive the designation for either platform.

To qualify as a “gatekeeper” under DMA guidelines, a service must report 45 million monthly active end users and 10,000 yearly business users over the prior three financial years . This designation implies a platform holds significant sway over its specific market. Apple is no stranger to these regulations; the company already manages several designated products, including the Safari web browser , the App Store , iOS , and iPadOS . Consequently, Apple is bound by stringent conduct rules for these services, prohibiting it from prioritizing its own offerings over competitors or trapping users within its walled garden .

Despite the notification, Apple has filed a rebuttal and intends to argue why Maps and Ads should remain exempt, as reported by Reuters . The tech giant contends that Maps sees significantly lower usage within the EU compared to rivals like Google Maps. Similarly, Apple argues its advertising business holds a minimal market share when stacked against heavyweights like Google, Meta, TikTok, and X . “We look forward to further explaining to the European Commission why Apple Maps and Apple Ads should not be designated,” Apple noted in a statement.