Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) just hit a legal roadblock in Germany. The country's top court rejected its appeal against a regulatory ruling, meaning Apple will now face tighter oversight from German authorities, Reuters reported, citing the Federal Court of Justice.

The decision backs a 2023 ruling by the German Federal Cartel Office, which labeled Apple as a company of paramount cross-market significance for competition. In simpler terms, that means regulators can impose tougher rules to curb its market dominance.

Apple had hoped to bring the case to the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg, but that request was denied. Back in January, a judge had already hinted that Apple was unlikely to win this battle.

This isn't the first time Apple's business practices have been questioned in Europe. Regulators have been scrutinizing the App Store over how it collects and handles user data. Now, Apple joins tech giants Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) and Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) on Germany's growing list of companies under increased regulatory pressure.

Just last month, Germany's antitrust authority, the Bundeskartellamt, raised concerns about Apple's app tracking framework, suggesting it might violate rules for major tech firms.

Meanwhile, in October 2024, German regulators wrapped up an investigation into Meta after the company took steps to address concerns over its data practices.