EU Probes Apple Ads, Maps

The European Commission, the antitrust regulatory authority of the European Union (EU), has launched an investigation to determine whether Apple Ads and Apple Maps should be classified as “Gatekeeper” services under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Through these actions, the EU aims to limit the power of Big Tech companies and ensure a more competitive marketplace for consumers.

Under the DMA, services are classified as Gatekeepers if they meet criteria such as:

. Services with more than 45 million monthly active users
. Companies with a market valuation exceeding US $79 billion

Services designated as Gatekeepers must comply with special rules and operational requirements. Apple’s App Store, iOS, and Safari browser are already subject to DMA regulations. Apple’s position on this matter is that Apple Ads is not a major player in the European digital advertising market. Compared to companies such as Google, Meta, Microsoft, TikTok, and X, Apple’s ad market share is relatively small. Apple also argues that Apple Maps has limited usage when compared to competing mapping services like Google Maps and Waze.

If Apple receives the EU Gatekeeper label for these services, it would be required to impose stricter data limitations, provide mandatory access to Apple Maps for third-party apps, and follow more developer-friendly and fair rules. Violating these regulations could also result in substantial financial penalties.