The European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA) is a significant regulation reshaping the competitive landscape of digital platforms. Fully enforced since 2024, the law directly impacts global tech giants' operations in Europe, while also having indirect implications for countries outside the EU, including Turkey.
What Is the DMA?
The Digital Markets Act is an EU regulation that designates large digital platforms as "gatekeepers" and imposes specific obligations on them.
Gatekeeper Criteria
For a platform to be considered a gatekeeper:
- Market impact: Annual revenue of 7.5 billion euros in the EU or market value of 75 billion euros
- User base: 45 million monthly end users in the EU
- Persistence: Meeting these thresholds for the last 3 years
Covered Services
- Search engines
- Social networks
- Messaging applications
- Operating systems
- Cloud computing services
- Online advertising
- App stores
- Web browsers
The DMA is a regulation that directly affects tech giants such as Apple, Google, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, and ByteDance.
Obligations Introduced by the DMA
Important rules imposed on gatekeeper platforms:
Interoperability
- Mandatory cross-communication between messaging applications
- Equal access conditions for third-party developers
- API and interface sharing
Data Portability
- Users must be able to easily transfer their data to other platforms
- Providing real-time data portability tools
- Reducing user lock-in effects
Fair Competition
- Self-preferencing ban: Cannot prioritize own services in search results
- App stores: Must allow alternative stores and sideloading
- Payment systems: Must allow third-party payment solutions
Advertising Transparency
- Obligation to disclose targeting criteria
- Providing ad performance data to advertisers
- Restrictions on combining data collected from different platforms
User Choice
- Letting users choose default apps and services
- Ability to uninstall pre-installed applications
- Browser and search engine choice screens
Impact on Big Tech Companies
Apple
- Allowing third-party app stores on iOS
- Third-party access to NFC payments
- Allowing non-Safari browser engines
- Changes in App Store commission structure
- Competition regulations in search results
- Alternative app stores on Android
- Chrome's default search engine choice screen
- Ad data sharing requirements
Meta
- Interoperability for WhatsApp and Messenger
- Cross-platform data combining restrictions
- Ad transparency requirements
Impact on Turkey
Although the DMA does not directly bind Turkey, its indirect effects are significant:
Direct Effects
- Turkish tech companies serving the EU must comply with DMA rules
- Businesses trading with the EU need to review their data practices
- New platform opportunities for Turkish developers (alternative app stores)
Indirect Effects
- Regulation diffusion: Inspiration for Turkey's own digital market regulation
- Increased competition: More open platforms, more opportunities for Turkish companies
- Technology transfer: Interoperability requirements create new integration possibilities
- Data sovereignty: Strengthening Turkey's own data regulations
Recommendations for Turkish Businesses
- Follow the DMA: Monitor the regulation's evolution and enforcement
- EU market strategy: Evaluate opportunities created by the DMA
- Data compliance: Review your data processing procedures for EU customers
- Alternative distribution: Explore new platform opportunities
Global Impact and Other Countries' Approaches
The DMA is inspiring digital market regulations worldwide:
- Japan: A similar transparency law is in effect
- South Korea: App store regulations
- India: Digital competition framework discussions
- USA: Comprehensive federal regulation discussions continue
- United Kingdom: Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act
Sanctions and Enforcement
Non-compliance with the DMA has serious consequences:
- Fines of up to 10% of global turnover for first violations
- Fines of up to 20% for repeated violations
- Structural remedies for systematic violations (including company breakup)
Conclusion
The European Digital Markets Act is rewriting the rules of the digital economy. This regulation aims to provide consumers with more choice and control while creating a fairer competitive environment for small and medium-sized enterprises. At BUZ Yazilim, we stand by our clients as a technology partner in their digital regulation compliance processes.