March 19, 2025 – Apple Inc. suffered a setback this Tuesday as the German Federal Supreme Court dismissed its appeal against the country’s antitrust authority, paving the way for tighter regulatory scrutiny of the tech giant in Germany. The ruling upholds the decision by the German Cartel Office in 2023, which designated Apple as a company “of paramount cross-market significance for competition.” Consequently, Apple joins the ranks of Alphabet, Google’s parent company, and Meta, Facebook’s parent entity, as tech behemoths potentially facing restrictions on their market power by German regulators.
Apple, contesting the verdict, argued that it faces intense competition in the German market. An Apple spokesperson, in an emailed statement to Reuters, emphasized, “This ruling overlooks the value of a business model centered on user privacy and security.”
Hints of the court’s inclination to side with the regulators surfaced in January when a judge signaled support for the watchdog’s stance. Apple’s legal team had sought to refer the case to the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg for an opinion, but the Federal Supreme Court denied this request.
The App Store, a key focus of Apple’s operations, has been under the regulatory microscope in Europe, with concerns raised over the vast amounts of user behavior data it collects.
Andreas Mundt, the president of the German Federal Cartel Office, welcomed the court’s decision. In a statement, he asserted, “This means that the highest court has confirmed that Apple will be subject to stricter oversight regarding the abuse of its market dominance.” He further added, “Our ongoing examination of Apple’s restrictions on third-party app tracking now has a solid foundation, and we are fully committed to pursuing this case and others against major internet companies.”
