According to the European Commission, a total of 22 services from the six gatekeeper platforms have been designated under the Digital Markets Law. Four correspond to social networks (TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn), as well as a video sharing platform, YouTube.
Another six are part of the “intermediation” services and are Google Maps, Play, Shopping, Amazon Marketplace, the iOS App Store and Meta Marketplace. On the other hand, three ad delivery systems (Google, Meta and Amazon) were included.
In addition, two browsers (Chrome and Safari), three operating systems (Android, iOS and Windows), as well as two interpersonal communication services independent of a telephone number (WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger), as well as a search engine, were included.
ByteDance, the company behind TikTok, is the only foreign company on this list of tech giants. Before it was released, Samsung was expected to be included in the list as well, but it was ultimately left out.
Another couple of platforms that were left out of the regulations are the email services, Gmail and Outlook, from Google and Microsoft, respectively. And no cloud storage platform was included either.
What is the Digital Markets Law?
This legislation seeks to address “the negative consequences derived from the behavior of certain platforms that act as ‘access gatekeepers’ in the market,” according to the document, and is directed at Big Tech, since it considers that these companies “have the power to act as creators of private standards and acting as bottlenecks between companies and consumers”.
It will prohibit unfair practices such as preventing people from uninstalling programs or pre-installed apps; You will also proactively request that you take steps to allow third party programs to work and interact with your services.
Another point is that they will be restricted from combining the personal data they acquire from users through the multiple services they offer and they will not be able to cross information without their consent. Regarding minors, they will not allow companies to direct advertisements to this sector.
They also aim to restrict mergers “for a limited period” in case companies violate proposals designed to prevent what the EU calls “killer takeovers,” where companies buy a rival before they become a threat to the economy. big company.