We are asking for stronger rules for dominant “gatekeeper” firms in the Digital Markets Act (DMA), the new EU proposal on competition in digital services and devices.

Large gatekeeper platforms are dominant across different fields, e.g. search and browser, app stores and operating systems, or social media and instant messaging. Their dominance allows them to attract ever-more users and collect more data about customers, which confirms their dominance even more.

The Digital Markets Act, like the GDPR, will set the global standard for online competition. It provides the opportunity to ensure a level-playing field and fair competition in the online environment. As a representative of SMEs in the ​European Internet industry, we strongly support open and competitive digital markets.

Here are our key demands:

1. An extension of the interoperability provision to all core platform services to improve efficiency for SMEs and make it easier for companies operating in Europe to compete with gatekeepers.
2. The introduction of an explicit ban on pre-installed apps and default settings allowing users to choose their own core services such as email, search and messaging apps.
3. The widening of the ban on bundling services with operating systems, to also include ancillary services. This, for instance, could ensure that platforms like Android or iOS will no longer be able to force users to sign up for additional Google and Apple products.

For more information, you can visit our joint campaign page competitivedigitalmarkets.eu.