The European Union’s Digital Markets Act, which targets the biggest online platforms it calls “gatekeepers,” took effect on 1 November 2022 and has been in force since 2 May 2023, with full compliance due from March 2024.
The regulation, which complements the Digital Services Act, is aimed at curbing self-preferencing, keeping users from being locked into ecosystems, and stopping unfair use of business users’ data.
A company can be named a gatekeeper if it clears an EU turnover bar of at least €7.5 billion a year, or carries a market value of €75 billion or more, while running a core platform service such as search, app stores or social networks used by more than 45 million people a month in the EU.
Seven firms have been designated so far, including Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Booking.com and ByteDance.
For users, the law leans on consent and portability: people must be able to move their data easily to other services, count on interoperability between platforms, and see how their information is collected and shared. The act also overlaps with the GDPR, and it requires explicit consent when personal data is combined across a company’s services.
The European Commission enforces the rules. Fines can reach 10% of a company’s global annual turnover, rising to 20% for repeat offences, and daily penalties of up to 5% of turnover can follow continued non-compliance.
Sources
- Digital Markets Act (DMA) Compliance & EU Gatekeeper Rules | CookieHub
- Digital Markets Act Summary: EU DMA Law Explained
