Apple notified the European Commission on November 27, 2025 that its Apple Ads and Apple Maps services meet the Digital Markets Act (DMA) gatekeeper thresholds of 45 million EU monthly active users, a €75 billion market‑capitalization benchmark, and provision of a core platform service for business users. The Commission announced the notification on November 28, 2025, triggering a 45‑working‑day review period.
If the Commission designates Apple as a gatekeeper, the company would face obligations such as allowing third‑party interoperability, providing advertisers with independent verification tools, and prohibiting self‑preference in search rankings. These rules would also limit Apple’s ability to enforce its own platform policies and could constrain its services revenue and competitive advantage in the EU.
Apple argues that Apple Ads holds only a minimal share of the EU online‑advertising market and that Apple Maps has limited usage compared to rivals like Google Maps and Waze. The company also maintains that its advertising business does not rely on cross‑service data privileges, and therefore should not be subject to gatekeeper status.
The DMA designation would impose significant compliance costs and could affect Apple’s services segment, which generated $28.8 billion in Q4 FY2025. Any disruption to Ads or Maps could impact that growth trajectory and the company’s overall services strategy.
Apple’s previous gatekeeper designations for the App Store, iOS, and Safari required the company to support alternative app marketplaces and third‑party payment options. Extending those obligations to Ads and Maps would further open Apple’s ecosystem and increase regulatory scrutiny.
Apple has warned that the DMA could delay feature rollouts and increase security risks, and in September 2025 threatened to halt shipments to the EU unless the law was repealed or amended. The current notification adds another layer of regulatory scrutiny that could influence Apple’s long‑term strategy in Europe.
Analysts note that the regulatory risk may weigh on Apple’s services outlook, but the company’s strong cash position and diversified revenue streams mitigate short‑term impact.
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