The European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) has come into force, and it’s meant that some of the world’s biggest tech companies are having to make major changes to how they operate. The law, which is designed to increase competition in the EU’s digital markets, designates some large online companies and their services as “gatekeepers.” Those that have received the gatekeeper designation — the companies on the list are Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Meta, and Microsoft — have to meet strict requirements intended to reduce anticompetitive behavior. Specific changes include Apple allowing alternative app stores on iOS, Meta making WhatsApp interoperable with other messaging services, and Google letting EU users choose which services share their data. But it’s likely we haven’t seen the last of the changes brought about by the DMA, as critics push back against how the likes of Apple are complying with the law in the hope that it’ll change its approach. You can read all of our coverage about the DMA below.
