EU Commission to Probe Alphabet, Apple, Meta under ‘gatekeeper’ rules
The European Commission said on Monday that it would investigate Apple, Meta, and Google-owner Alphabet over suspected violations of EU rules for online gatekeepers.
The probe was the first non-compliance investigation under the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA).
This took effect on March 7 and regulates the behaviour of companies the commission deems to be “gatekeepers’’ in the digital economy.
A gatekeeper is a company that holds a powerful, entrenched position in the EU’s digital economy, acting as an intermediary between many users and businesses.
The investigations into Alphabet and Apple concern suspected non-compliance with a DMA provision, requiring gatekeepers to steer customers to offer outside their own app stores, free of charge.
Also under scrutiny is whether Alphabet gives preference to its own services in Google search results, and whether Apple complied with various DMA rules governing user choice in iOS.
Also the choice in iOS operating system for the smartphones and tablets.
Meta is being investigated over its policy of asking users to choose between paying to use its services and consenting to let their personal data be shared between the company’s services. #EU Commission to Probe Alphabet, Apple, Meta under ‘gatekeeper’ rules
