Italy Levels Major Antitrust Fine Against Apple Over App Store Dominance

In a significant move to curb the influence of global technology giants, Italy’s antitrust authority officially penalized Apple Inc. and two of its subsidiaries with a 98.6 million euro ($115.53 million) fine this Monday. The decision, handed down by the Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) on December 22, 2025, marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing European effort to regulate digital marketplaces and ensure fair competition for developers and consumers alike.

The regulator’s investigation concluded that the Cupertino-based tech giant leveraged its "absolute dominance" within the iOS ecosystem to stifle competition. According to the AGCM, Apple’s control over the distribution of mobile applications through its App Store has created a bottleneck that restricts the freedom of third-party developers. By acting as both the gatekeeper and a direct competitor on the platform, Apple was found to have violated European regulations designed to maintain a level playing field in the digital economy.

The core of the dispute centers on how Apple manages its proprietary platform. The Italian authority argued that the company’s restrictive policies make it nearly impossible for developers to reach iOS users without adhering to terms that primarily benefit Apple. This "walled garden" approach has long been a point of contention for regulators across the European Union, who argue that such market power leads to higher prices for users and less innovation from independent creators.

This latest financial penalty follows years of scrutiny regarding Apple’s App Store practices, including previous investigations into its App Tracking Transparency policy and its commission structures. While the 98.6 million euro fine is a fraction of Apple’s global revenue, it serves as a firm legal statement against the consolidation of power in the hands of a single platform provider. The AGCM emphasized that the fine is intended to address the systemic disadvantage faced by software developers who rely on the iOS platform to conduct their business.

As of Monday afternoon, Apple had not issued a formal response to the ruling, though the company has historically defended its App Store policies as essential for user security and privacy. Legal experts anticipate that Apple will likely appeal the decision, a standard move for the company in high-stakes antitrust cases. However, with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) now in full force, the pressure on tech "gatekeepers" to open their ecosystems is at an all-time high.

This ruling in Milan is expected to ripple across the continent, potentially encouraging other national regulators to take similar actions. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, the balance between platform security and open competition remains the central battleground for the future of the mobile internet.