The European Commission has started looking into whether big tech companies like Alphabet, Apple, and Meta are following the rules of a new law called the Digital Markets Act. This law aims to make sure that these companies don’t have too much control over digital markets. The commission is checking things like how Google and Apple control their app stores, and how Meta handles payments.
They’re also investigating Apple’s new fees for other app stores and how Amazon ranks products on its website. The commission thinks that some big online platforms act like “gatekeepers” in digital markets, meaning they have a lot of power, and the law wants to make sure they’re fair to other companies and give users more choices.
This law, along with another called the Digital Services Act, is a big part of Europe’s plan for the internet. The commission had already named six companies, including Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, and Microsoft, as gatekeepers. These companies provide services like search engines and social networks that many other businesses use.
The commission is saying that the gatekeepers might not be following the new rules properly, and if they don’t, they could face big fines. The law started on March 7, and the commission plans to finish its investigations within a year. If a company keeps breaking the rules, they could be fined up to 10% or even 20% of their total worldwide income. Thierry Breton, who is in charge of this, says they’ve been talking to these companies for a while to help them follow the rules, but they’re not sure if they’re doing it right yet.
