TLDR:
The Digital Markets Act (DMA) is EU regulation (Regulation 2022/1925, in force from May 2023, full effects from March 2024) that imposes ex-ante obligations on major digital platforms designated as “gatekeepers” — providers of core platform services with substantial market power. The DMA aims to ensure fair, contestable digital markets by directly regulating gatekeeper behavior rather than relying on after-the-fact competition enforcement.
Designated Gatekeepers and Services
As of 2025, designated gatekeepers include Alphabet (Google), Amazon, Apple, ByteDance (TikTok), Meta, Microsoft, and Booking. Designated core platform services include search engines, app stores, online marketplaces, social networks, video sharing platforms, instant messaging, virtual assistants, web browsers, and operating systems. Companies meeting quantitative thresholds (turnover, user numbers) can be designated, with the European Commission having discretion to expand designation.
Gatekeeper Obligations
The DMA imposes specific dos and don’ts: prohibition on self-preferencing (gatekeeper’s own products over third-party), prohibition on combining personal data across services without consent, interoperability requirements (messaging interop, alternative app stores on iOS), data access for business users, prohibition on tying core services to ancillary ones, allowance of users to uninstall pre-installed apps, and prohibition on requiring exclusive use of gatekeeper services. These obligations have already produced major changes: alternative iOS app stores in EU, RCS/messaging interop initiatives, and adjusted Google search interfaces.
Enforcement and Impact
Penalties for DMA violations are substantial: up to 10% of global annual turnover (20% for repeat infringements), periodic penalty payments, and structural remedies for systematic non-compliance. The European Commission opened multiple investigations of designated gatekeepers in 2024-2025. Founders building on gatekeeper platforms (iOS, Android, search) should track DMA developments—new obligations create both opportunities (more flexible platform rules) and constraints (changing terms requiring product adaptation).