German Court to Rule on Apple's Antitrust Oversight Status

The Federal Court of Justice will decide if Apple holds 'paramount cross-market significance,' potentially subjecting the company to stricter regulatory scrutiny.

• The Federal Cartel Office designated Apple as having 'paramount cross-market significance' in 2023, a decision Apple has appealed to the Federal Court of Justice (BGH).
• The BGH's ruling, expected on March 18, 2025, could uphold the designation, enabling stricter oversight of Apple's business practices.
• Apple's app tracking rules, which require third-party apps to obtain user consent while exempting its own apps, are currently under investigation for potential anti-competitive behavior.
• The 2021 reform of Germany's competition law allows regulators to designate and oversee companies with significant influence across multiple markets.
• Apple is the only major tech company to challenge the designation, with similar rulings already upheld for Google, Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft.

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