Negotiators from the European Parliament and EU member states agreed Thursday on a landmark law to curb the market dominance of US big tech giants such as Google, Meta, Amazon and Apple.
Meeting in Brussels the lawmakers nailed down a long list of do’s and don’ts that will single out the world’s most iconic web giants as internet "gatekeepers" subject to special rules.
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The "Digital Markets Act" (DMA) has sped through the bloc’s legislative procedures and is designed to protect consumers and give rivals a better chance to survive against the world’s powerful tech juggernauts.
"The agreement ushers in a new era of tech regulation worldwide," said German MEP Andreas Schwab, who led the negotiations for the European Parliament.
"The Digital Markets Act puts an end to the ever-increasing dominance of Big Tech companies," he added.
The main point of the law is to avert the years of procedures and court battles needed to punish Big Tech’s monopolistic behaviour where cases can end with huge fines but little change in how the giants do business.
Once implemented, the law will give Brussels unprecedented authority to keep an eye on decisions by the giants, especially when they pull out the chequebook to buy up promising startups.
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"The gatekeepers -- they now have to take responsibility," said the EU’s competition supremo Margrethe Vestager.
"A number of things they can do, a number of things they can’t do, and that of course gives everyone a fair chance," she added.
