Apple has informed the European Commission that two of its services, Apple Ads and Apple Maps, meet the user and scale thresholds set out in the European Union’s Digital Markets Act, triggering a formal assessment that could place them under stricter competition rules. The notification signals that both services now exceed the benchmark of 45 million monthly active users in the bloc, a key criterion used by regulators to determine whether a platform should be classified as a “gatekeeper”.
Under the Digital Markets Act, companies designated as gatekeepers are subject to a wide range of obligations designed to prevent unfair advantages and promote greater competition. These include requirements to open parts of their platforms to rivals, ensure interoperability with third-party services and avoid prioritising their own products within their ecosystems. If Apple Ads or Apple Maps are formally labelled as such, the company would have a limited period to adapt its operations to comply with these new standards.
The move places Apple in a sensitive position. Although it has acknowledged meeting the quantitative thresholds, it has previously argued that these services do not hold the same dominant market power as larger advertising networks or leading navigation providers in Europe. Apple maintains that their overall footprint and influence remain more limited than those of some competitors already designated under the rules. By voluntarily notifying the Commission, however, the company is taking a step to engage with the process rather than be caught off guard by a regulator-led determination.
European authorities will now examine a range of qualitative and quantitative factors before reaching a final decision. This review will consider not only user numbers, but also market influence, integration within Apple’s wider ecosystem and the degree to which the services can shape the digital landscape for advertisers, developers and consumers across the region.
For the broader technology sector, the outcome will be closely watched. A designation would set an important precedent, extending the reach of EU digital regulation further into Apple’s core services and reinforcing the bloc’s readiness to challenge even the most established global firms. It could also reshape competitive dynamics for mapping and mobile advertising in Europe, creating new openings for smaller players.
