The EU would like to impose significantly stricter rules on corporations such as Google, Apple and Meta (Facebook). Pre-installed apps on phones that cannot be deleted could soon be a thing of the past. Beyond that, consumer-friendly rules are the focus of the Digital Markets Act.
EU: Stricter rules for tech companies
The EU Parliament and negotiators of the EU states have agreed on the new Digital Markets Act (DMA) agreed. This will make things much tighter for large tech companies in the future. The existing market power is to be regulated more closely and fairer competition ensured. For users, in turn, this could have very positive effects.
According to the DMA, the so far common practice of preinstalled apps be stopped on cell phones and tablets. In principle, they remain permitted, but the user must be able to delete them without major difficulties (source: Zeit Online). Bloatware can no longer spread and take up storage space on the smartphone without being asked.
How to remove annoying apps from Android phones:
The corporations referred to as “gatekeepers” such as Google, Amazon, Meta (Facebook) and Apple it should also be made more difficult in another area. According to the DMA, it is expressly forbidden in the “central services” to treat one’s own offers better than those of the competition. There has been a dispute with the EU for years over Google’s handling of Google Shopping.
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Digital Markets Act: EU threatens massive penalties
In the event of violations of the DMA, the EU reserves the right extensive sanction options in front. In addition to massive fines, tech companies are even threatened with splitting up in the worst case. The companies must now show “that they also allow fair competition on the Internet,” says the CDU MEP Andreas Schwab.
Tech companies are also prohibited via the DMA Bundling user data across multiple services, if there is no consent. Access to individual offers must also be permitted if users do not explicitly agree to data bundling with other services. Among other things, this would affect the exchange of data between WhatsApp and the parent company Meta.