Brussels, BELGIUM – The European Commission has announced decisions and fines against Apple and Meta, marking the first enforcement actions under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). These actions have raised concerns from the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA Europe).
CCIA Europe criticizes the DMA’s enforcement process, claiming it is lacking in transparency and predictability. The organization suggests that the regulations are being applied in a discretionary manner that lacks proportionality.
The affected companies, designated as 'gatekeepers', have faced unclear expectations since the DMA was enacted. The European Commission has required significant changes to their services, often leading to confusion and multiple re-evaluations.
Daniel Friedlaender, Senior Vice President and Head of CCIA Europe, expressed concerns over the impacts of these decisions: “The DMA’s credibility is being weakened by its unpredictable enforcement and shifting demands, combined with sweeping product-design mandates from the European Commission that disrupt the user experience and limit EU businesses’ ability to reach consumers.”
Friedlaender described the specifics of one case where the Commission dictated detailed business strategy and product engineering choices, affecting product coding. In another decision, there is a risk of increased advertising costs and new barriers for European brands and SMEs trying to connect with EU customers.
He further commented on the broader implications: “The Commission is redesigning business models of online platforms, moving goalposts, and limiting innovation. The DMA has become highly politicised, and could even force some companies to provide services at a loss. There is a huge opportunity for regulatory simplification in Europe – so far, however, the DMA decisions are going in the opposite direction.”