Finance
EU to examine if Apple Ads and Maps subject to tough rules, Apple says no
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on November 28, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Tags:European Commission
Quick Summary
The EU is examining if Apple Ads and Maps should comply with the Digital Markets Act, as Apple argues for exemption due to limited market impact.
EU to Review Apple Ads and Maps for Digital Compliance
By Inti Landauro and Foo Yun Chee
BRUSSELS (Reuters) -EU antitrust regulators will examine whether Apple's Apple Ads and Apple Maps should be subject to the onerous requirements of the bloc's digital rules after both services hit key criteria, with the U.S. tech giant saying they should be exempted.
Apple's App Store, iOS operating system and Safari web browser were designated core platform services under the Digital Markets Act two years ago aimed at reining in the power of Big Tech and opening up the field to rivals so consumers can have more choice.
The European Commission said that Apple has notified it that Apple Ads and Apple Maps met the Act's two thresholds to be considered "gatekeepers".
The DMA designates companies with services with more than 45 million monthly active users and 75 billion euros ($79 billion) in market capitalisation as gatekeepers subject to a list of dos and don'ts.
The Commission has 45 working days to decide whether to give Apple's maps and ads services such designation, with Apple then given six months to comply.
Apple said in a response on Friday that it had submitted official rebuttals to the EU competition enforcer.
The company said Apple Ads is not a large player in the online advertising services market in the EU, and has minimal share compared to rivals such as Google, Meta, Microsoft, TikTok or X, and that it does not use data from other Apple services or third-party services for this service.
Maps has very limited usage in the EU when compared to other mapping services, such as Google Maps and Waze, and it does not feature critical intermediation functionalities that would allow it to connect business users and end users more directly, Apple also said.
(Reporting by Inti Landauro, Charlotte Van Campenhout and Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta, Alexander Smith and Tomasz Janowski)
Key Takeaways
- •EU to assess if Apple Ads and Maps meet gatekeeper criteria.
- •Digital Markets Act targets companies with over 45M users.
- •Apple argues its services should be exempt from EU rules.
- •Apple Ads has minimal market share compared to rivals.
- •Maps usage in the EU is limited compared to competitors.
Frequently Asked Questions about EU to examine if Apple Ads and Maps subject to tough rules, Apple says no
1What is the Digital Markets Act?
The Digital Markets Act is a regulation by the European Union aimed at ensuring fair competition in digital markets by imposing specific obligations on large tech companies designated as 'gatekeepers.'
2What are gatekeepers in the context of the Digital Markets Act?
Gatekeepers are large online platforms that meet certain thresholds set by the Digital Markets Act, such as having over 45 million monthly active users, and are subject to specific regulatory requirements.
3What is antitrust regulation?
Antitrust regulation refers to laws and policies that promote competition and prevent monopolistic practices in the marketplace, ensuring that consumers have choices and fair prices.
4What are Apple Ads?
Apple Ads is an advertising platform by Apple that allows businesses to promote their products and services across Apple's ecosystem, including the App Store and Apple News.
5What are Apple Maps?
Apple Maps is a mapping service developed by Apple that provides navigation, traffic information, and location-based services to users on Apple devices.
