Early Signs Of The Digital Markets Act In Action

• Published date: 02 April 2024
• Subject Matter: Consumer Protection, Consumer Trading & Unfair Trading
• Law Firm: Norton Rose Fulbright
• Author: Ms Miranda Cole

In the first use of the Digital Markets Act's enforcement powers, the European Commission has opened a number of investigations, including of Alphabet's self-preferencing in search and Apple's implementation of the 'link out' obligation, with the Commission still examining Apple's broader alternative distribution model.

The DMA is intended to promote competition and innovation in digital markets and to protect consumers and businesses from unfair practices. These investigations are reassuring, coming less than three weeks after the DMA compliance date. As Commissioner Breton put it: "the law is the law. We can't just sit around and wait."

While it...