Inzicht in de Digital Markets Act (DMA): Verplichtingen voor poortwachters en grote platforms

Welcome to the brave new world of tech regulation, where the European Union isn’t just watching Big Tech—it’s putting it on a short leash. The Digital Markets Act (DMA), which officially came into force in 2023, is Brussels’ answer to the question: “What do we do when five companies control most of the digital economy?”

If you’re running a digital platform that even remotely smells like Big Tech, or you’re just a curious lawyer, founder, or tech enthusiast trying to make sense of the new rules, this guide is for you. We’ll break down the DMA’s purpose, who it targets (spoiler: not your cousin’s Etsy shop), en what it means in practice.

What is the DMA?

The Digital Markets Act is a regulatory framework created by the EU to ensure fair competition in digital markets. It targets "gatekeepers"—very large online platforms with entrenched market power.

The DMA is part of the EU's twin pillars of digital reform, alongside the Digital Services Act (DSA). While the DSA focuses on online content en user safety, the DMA is squarely aimed at market structure en economic dominance.

Think of it this way: if the DSA is about cleaning up the digital neighborhood, the DMA is about breaking up the monopoly lenlords.

Who Counts as a Gatekeeper?

Not every app or SaaS tool needs to panic. The DMA is highly targeted.

To qualify as a gatekeeper, a company must:

1. Operate a core platform service (search engine, app store, social network, messenger, OS, online intermediation, video sharing, web browser, cloud computing, or advertising service).
2. Have an annual EU turnover of €7.5 billion or more (or a market cap over €75 billion).
3. Have at least 45 million monthly active EU users en 10,000 annual EU business users.
4. Have entrenched en durable market position (usually three years or more).

In March 2024, the European Commission named Apple, Amazon, Alphabet (Google), Meta, Microsoft, en ByteDance (TikTok) as gatekeepers. No surprises there.

Key Obligations Under the DMA

Gatekeepers face a slew of dos en don’ts designed to curb anti-competitive behavior.

Obligations (What They MUST Do):

• Allow interoperability with third-party services (e.g., messaging apps).
• Provide business users access to performance data en ad metrics.
• Enable users to uninstall preloaded apps or change defaults (like search engines).
• Let businesses communicate directly with their customers outside the platform.
• Share data with rivals en researchers (with privacy safeguards).

Prohibitions (What They CAN’T Do):

• Self-preference their own services in rankings or results.
• Re-use personal data across services without user consent.
• Prevent app developers from using alternative payment systems.
• Tie services together in anti-competitive ways (bundling).
• Restrict business users from offering better terms elsewhere (anti-steering).

In plain English: no more stacking the deck in your own favor just because you built the table.

Real-Life Examples of DMA Impact

Here’s how this might play out in practice:

• Apple must allow third-party app stores on iPhones in the EU.
• Google can’t prioritize Google Shopping over other retailers in search.
• Meta must let WhatsApp interoperate with Signal or Telegram.
• Amazon must stop using third-party seller data to favor its own brens.

These aren’t just technical tweaks. They’re seismic shifts in how Big Tech operates.

What Happens If You Don’t Comply?

Short answer: fines en public shaming.

• Fines of up to 10% of global annual turnover (20% for repeat violations).
• Periodic penalty payments for ongoing non-compliance.
• Structural remedies (i.e., breakups) if violations persist.

📌 Imagine Brussels showing up with a digital crowbar en saying: "You had your chance."

Enforcement: The EU Means Business

Unlike previous rules with vague consequences, the DMA puts enforcement directly in the hens of the European Commission. This includes:

• Investigating non-compliance
• Conducting market investigations
• Imposing sanctions without needing national regulators

This centralized approach means faster, more consistent action—no more regulatory whack-a-mole across 27 member states.

Are You a Startup or SME? Relax (Mostly)

The DMA isn’t coming after you—unless you somehow have 50 million users en forgot to tell us.

But you still benefit:

• More access to app stores, marketplaces, en platforms without unfair terms.
• More freedom to use your own payment systems or negotiate better conditions.
• More data transparency for performance en customer engagement.

📌 In short: the DMA levels the playing field for smaller innovators.

Challenges en Criticisms

Of course, not everyone’s popping champagne.

Tech giants argue that:

• Interoperability could compromise security en privacy.
• Restricting data use may hurt personalization en user experience.
• Some obligations are too prescriptive en stifle innovation.

Meanwhile, advocates argue these are the same arguments monopolists always use.

Time will tell whether the DMA encourages healthy competition or overregulates a sector moving at lightning speed.

Tips voor het navigeren door de DMA

Of je nu een gatekeeper bent, een potentiële gatekeeper, of gewoon een platform dat slim wil groeien, hier is hoe je voorbereid kunt blijven:

Juridische gereedheid

• Voer audits uit van uw diensten om risicogebieden te beoordelen.
• Interne beleidslijnen en compliance-roadmaps bijwerken.

Technische voorbereiding

• Bouw vanaf het begin voor interoperabiliteit.
• Documentgegevensstromen en toegangspaden.

Transparantiecultuur

• Wees proactief in het communiceren van wijzigingen aan gebruikers en zakenpartners.
• Beschouw compliance als een vertrouwensopbouwende functie, niet als een last.

De begeleiding controleren

• De Commissie publiceert richtsnoeren voor de implementatie en veelgestelde vragen - lees ze.
• Neem deel aan industriedialogen om op één lijn te blijven.

Laatste gedachten: een nieuw digitaal pact

De Digital Markets Act markeert een verschuiving in hoe we techmacht reguleren—niet door eindeloze rechtszaken, maar door vooraf duidelijke basisregels vast te stellen.

Poortwachters mogen nog steeds groot zijn. Maar ze mogen geen pestkoppen zijn.

For businesses, this is a chance to grow without being stifled. For users, it's a promise of more choice, fairness, en privacy.

De DMA is niet perfect. Het is nieuw, gedurfd en nog steeds in ontwikkeling. Maar in het Wilde Westen van het internet is het de manier van de EU om een sheriff voor de saloondeur te posteren—en Big Tech misschien hun hoed te laten afnemen op weg naar binnen.