1What is it?
The Digital Markets Act (DMA) is an EU regulation that entered into force in November 2022, targeting a handful of the world's largest digital platforms — dubbed 'gatekeepers' — such as Google, Apple, Meta, Amazon and Microsoft. It imposes a set of mandatory obligations and prohibitions on these companies regarding how they operate their core platform services (app stores, search engines, social networks, messaging apps, etc.). Concretely, it forces interoperability between some services, bans certain self-preferencing practices, and restricts the cross-combination of personal data for advertising without explicit consent. The DMA does not regulate all digital companies — only those designated as gatekeepers by the European Commission, which retains significant discretionary power in that designation process.
2What is it officially for?
The official objective of the DMA is to ensure 'fair and contestable' digital markets in Europe by preventing gatekeepers from abusing their dominant positions to crush competition. The European Commission argues it will lower barriers to entry for smaller European competitors and reduce consumer lock-in to dominant ecosystems. Institutions also present it as a tool to restore consumer choice — for instance, the ability to install third-party app stores or choose default services freely. However, critics from civil society note that the law focuses heavily on competition between large corporations, and less on protecting users from surveillance capitalism as such. Digital rights organisations have pointed out that the DMA is not a privacy law and should not be confused with one — its gains for citizens are real but structurally limited.
3What it can change for citizens
In practice, the DMA has already forced Apple to open iOS to third-party app stores and alternative browsers in the EU, and Meta to offer (in theory) ad-free subscription options. Citizens should gain more ability to switch platforms, port their data, and use interoperable messaging across services like WhatsApp. However, these gains come with caveats: interoperability can weaken end-to-end encryption if not implemented carefully, and new options (like sideloading apps) also introduce new security risks for less technically literate users. Furthermore, enforcement remains a serious concern — the Commission has limited investigative resources, and gatekeepers have strong legal teams to delay or water down compliance. The real-world benefit for citizens depends heavily on how aggressively the Commission enforces the rules, which is not guaranteed.