European Consumer Organisation paper challenges the DMA compliance of six gatekeepers

In a White Paper unveiled on September 2, 2024, BEUC – the European Consumer Organisation challenges the implementation by the platforms of their obligations under the DMA. The report, which is not an assessment of compliance with every single provision of the DMA, but instead covers selected issues that are of most direct relevance to consumers, lists some  practices that are affecting end-users and where possible non-compliance with the DMA lies.

Digital Markets Act rules which various gatekeepers are potentially not complying with include:

• Requiring consumers’ consent to use their personal data across services (Meta, Alphabet/Google, Amazon, ByteDance and Microsoft)

• Subscribing to services outside the gatekeeper’s app store (Apple, Alphabet/Google)

• No self-preferencing in search results (Alphabet/Google, Amazon)

• Browser and  search engines choice screens and default settings (Apple, Alphabet/Google)

• Downloading alternative app stores and apps (Apple)

• Interoperability on instant messaging (Meta)

• Unsubscribing easily from services (Amazon)

With regards with the Google search topic, it says “Alphabet/Google’s redesign of its search results page has not eliminated Google’s preferential treatment of its own services”.

More information can be seen on the BEUC press release here.

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