EU Court rejects Opera challenge to Microsoft Edge gatekeeper status

The European Union General Court has rejected a legal challenge by Opera to have Microsoft Edge designated as a ‘gatekeeper’ under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The Luxembourg-based court ruled that the European Commission did not err in its previous decision to exclude the browser from the strictest tier of tech regulation.

While Microsoft Edge meets the quantitative user thresholds set by the DMA, the Commission previously accepted Microsoft’s arguments that the browser does not serve as an essential gateway between businesses and consumers. Opera had argued that the Commission failed to account for Edge’s ‘durable and privileged position on Windows,’ claiming the pre-installed browser acts as a chokepoint for users attempting to download rival software.

Despite this ruling, Microsoft remains a designated gatekeeper in the EU for other services, including Windows and LinkedIn. This judgment follows a series of legal victories for EU antitrust regulators and reinforces the high legal threshold required for companies to overturn regulatory designations.