As of today, the tech giants Apple, Alphabet, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, and ByteDance, identified as gatekeepers by the European Commission in September 2023, are required to adhere to all obligations outlined in the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The DMA, designed to enhance competition and fairness in digital markets within the EU, introduces new regulations for key platform services like search engines, online marketplaces, app stores, online advertising, and messaging. These regulations aim to empower European businesses and consumers with new rights.
Gatekeepers have been proactively testing measures to align with the DMA prior to the deadline, soliciting feedback from external parties. Effective immediately, gatekeepers must demonstrate their compliance with the DMA and detail the steps taken in compliance reports. These reports, available to the public on the Commission’s dedicated DMA webpage, also require gatekeepers to provide independently audited descriptions of consumer profiling techniques, alongside non-confidential versions of the reports.
The Commission will meticulously review the compliance reports to evaluate the efficacy of the implemented measures in meeting the DMA’s objectives. This assessment will consider feedback from stakeholders, including insights shared during compliance workshops where gatekeepers present their strategies.
Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager, overseeing competition policy, emphasized the transformative impact of the DMA on online markets. She highlighted the Act’s role in fostering openness and competitiveness for small businesses while offering consumers more affordable choices. Vestager expressed confidence in the DMA’s potential to reshape digital market dynamics to benefit all European participants and users.
Commissioner Thierry Breton, responsible for the Internal Market, underscored the significance of today as a milestone for the European digital landscape. Breton emphasized the DMA’s stringent obligations and enforcement mechanisms, including sanctions for non-compliance. He noted positive shifts in the market landscape, such as the emergence of alternative app stores and enhanced user control over data, attributing these changes to ongoing dialogues with gatekeepers. Breton warned of severe penalties, including the possibility of breaking up non-compliant companies, underscoring the Commission’s commitment to upholding the DMA’s principles.
The implementation of the DMA represents a pivotal moment in the regulation of digital markets, signaling a concerted effort to promote competition, fairness, and user empowerment within the European digital ecosystem.