Apple’s EU regulatory probe could intensify. Under rules under the Digital Markets Act , the company must notify the European Commission of services that meet the thresholds for so-called “ gatekeeper status .” Essentially, the law targets large tech services with more than 45 million active users in Europe. As part of that obligation, Apple has notified the EU that Apple Maps and Apple Ads fall into that category. The Commission now has 45 days to decide whether Maps and the company’s advertising businesses constitute a monopoly that warrants increased regulation.
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iOS , iPadOS, and the App Store already fall under the Digital Markets Act's "gatekeeper" rules. This has forced Apple to support features like alternative payment methods and third-party app stores in the EU.
Apple denies being a 'gatekeeper' for Apple Maps and Apple Ads
Apple is challenging the “gatekeeper” designation for Apple Maps and Apple Ads. Apple’s position appears to be that while these services have many users, they face stiff competition and do not represent a large percentage of the market.
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The company claims that Apple Maps has “very limited use” in the EU compared to Google Maps and Waze. Similarly, Apple Ads has “minimal share” compared to the advertising businesses of Google, Meta, TikTok and others.
The EU will make its decision in 45 days, which effectively means sometime in early 2026. If designated as a “gatekeeper,” Apple will then have six months to update Maps and Ads to comply with the stricter competition rules.
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At this time, it's not clear exactly how Maps' features or offerings will change.
