Apple has been losing friends in Europe for a while now. On December 2, 2025, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that Dutch courts have jurisdiction to hear antitrust claims against Apple over its App Store and iOS operating system practices. In plain terms: the door is now open for collective damages cases against Apple in the Netherlands, and Apple could not get it closed.

What the court actually decided

Two Dutch foundations, Stichting App Stores Claims and Stichting Right to Consumer Justice, brought the original complaints. Both allege that Apple abused its dominant market position through restrictive terms governing how apps are distributed and how iOS and iPadOS devices interoperate with third-party software.

Apple challenged the jurisdiction of Dutch courts, essentially arguing this was not the right venue for these claims. The CJEU dismissed that argument and cleared the cases to proceed. Now Apple faces potential collective damages claims under Dutch law, which can aggregate consumer and developer grievances into a single, unified legal action.

This is not Apple’s first EU headache in 2025

The CJEU ruling lands in the middle of what has been a bruising regulatory year for Apple in Europe. Earlier in 2025, the European Commission hit Apple with a €500 million fine for violating the Digital Markets Act, specifically around steering practices and its resistance to allowing alternative app marketplaces on iOS devices.

That followed a €1.8 billion fine in 2024, which targeted Apple’s anti-steering rules in music streaming. The rules had effectively prevented Spotify and other services from directing users to cheaper subscription options outside the App Store.

The Digital Markets Act is the EU’s primary tool for reining in what Brussels calls “gatekeepers,” large tech platforms that control access to their own ecosystems. Apple, Google, Meta, and Amazon all fall under its scope. Apple has made some adjustments to its App Store rules in the EU, including fee structure updates announced in June 2025, but the company has consistently challenged both the fines and the underlying regulatory framework in court.

What this means for Apple investors and the broader tech market

Apple generates a substantial portion of its services revenue from App Store commissions. That business model, a 15% to 30% cut of in-app purchases and subscriptions, is precisely what regulators on both sides of the Atlantic are scrutinizing. In Europe, the combination of DMA enforcement and now an open lane for collective damages claims creates a compounding legal risk.

For the broader tech sector, the CJEU’s jurisdictional ruling reinforces a trend that has been building for years. EU member state courts are increasingly willing to be the venue for collective antitrust challenges against large American tech companies. That matters for Google, Meta, and any other platform operating under DMA gatekeeper designation.

Developers watching this case, particularly smaller ones who feel squeezed by Apple’s commission structure and distribution rules, now have a clearer path to seeking redress. What is no longer uncertain is whether the venue is available. It is.