BRUSSELS, Feb 5 (KUNA) The European Commission announced on Thursday that Apple's online advertising service Apple Ads and its digital intermediation service Apple Maps will not be designated as "gatekeepers" under the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA), as they do not meet the required criteria.
In a press release, the Commission said the decision followed a notification submitted by Apple in November 2025 regarding the two services, in which the company presented arguments stating that, in its view, the services do not constitute an "important gateway" between business users and end users.
The Commission concluded after reviewing Apple's argument that the company does not qualify as a "gatekeeper" in relation to Apple Ads and Apple Maps, since neither of them represents a key channel for businesses to reach consumers within the European Union.
It added that this assessment was based on several considerations, including that Apple Maps has a relatively low usage rate in the EU, while Apple Ads has a very limited scale in the European online advertising market.
For its part, Apple welcomed the Commission's decision, saying in a statement that "these two services face significant competition in Europe, and we are pleased that the Commission recognized they do not meet the criteria for designation under the Digital Markets Act". (end) arn.hs