EU Court Upholds Microsoft Edge Exemption from Digital Markets Act Gatekeeper Rules

Norwegian internet and software giant Opera Ltd. (NASDAQ:OPRA) has lost its antitrust challenge against Microsoft Corp.'s (NASDAQ:MSFT) Edge browser, as the European Union's General Court upheld a 2024 decision exempting Edge from Digital Markets Act gatekeeper rules.

Judges ruled that Edge isn't a critical gateway for businesses reaching consumers, despite meeting the DMA's quantitative thresholds. They said the Commission didn't err in accepting Microsoft's 'sufficiently substantiated arguments' that Edge lacked gatekeeper status.

The Digital Markets Act imposes strict obligations on dominant tech platforms, and this ruling extends the Commission's string of DMA court victories, raising the bar for future challenges to its Big Tech enforcement decisions.