European Union: European Commission opened investigation into possible designation of Apple Ads and Apple Maps under Digital Markets Act

On 27 November 2025, the European Commission opened an investigation to assess whether Apple qualifies as a gatekeeper under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) in relation to its online advertising service Apple Ads and its online intermediation service Apple Maps following Apple's notification that the services meet the DMA user thresholds. The Commission will examine whether Apple Ads and Apple Maps constitute important gateways between business users and end users, with a 45-day time window for reaching its decision. If designated, Apple would be required to comply with DMA requirements within 6 months.