Digital Markets Act

Apple lost its challenge against the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA), which designates its app stores and iOS as gatekeepers with obligations to promote competition. The DMA, effective since May 2023, allows fines up to 10% of a company's global turnover and has faced legal challenges from Apple, Meta, and ByteDance.

The EU General Court dismissed Apple’s legal challenge against its designation as a gatekeeper under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), confirming its status for controlling iOS and the App Store. Apple also failed to argue that DMA interoperability rules violated its rights, and the court rejected its claim to treat five App Stores as separate services.

Microsoft is enabling Windows Backup for Organizations by default in Windows 11 26H2 for non-EU regions, requiring businesses with privacy or sovereignty concerns to opt out. The feature backs up device settings and Microsoft Store app lists for restoration on new devices, but excludes EU regions and devices with explicit backup policies disabled. Administrators are cautioned about the opt-out approach, as the feature aligns with Microsoft's goals to streamline PC transitions and cloud-first device management.

The European Court of Justice dismissed Google's appeal against a $4.5 billion antitrust fine for abusing its dominance in the Android operating system, confirming the penalty. This fine is part of over $8 billion in penalties imposed by the European Commission on Google between 2017 and 2019.

The European Court of Justice dismissed Google's appeal against a 4.1 billion euro ($4.5 billion) antitrust fine for abusing its dominant position in the Android mobile operating system. The ruling confirms the European Commission's 2018 penalty and aligns with broader EU efforts to regulate tech giants, including Amazon, Apple, and Facebook.

Europe’s top court upheld a €4.1 billion antitrust fine against Google for Android-related abuses, confirming the European Commission’s finding that Google imposed restrictions on smartphone makers and network operators to protect its Search and Chrome services. The ruling reinforces the Commission’s use of competition law to regulate digital platforms and closes a major antitrust case from former Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager’s tenure.

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened 100 percent tariffs on European countries imposing digital service taxes on American corporations, warning the tariffs would override existing trade deals. The threat comes amid EU efforts to reduce tariffs on U.S. goods in exchange for capped U.S. tariffs on EU products.

Activists are urging EU leaders to withdraw support for US Big Tech companies. The article also references discussions at the G7, comments by Ribera on the Digital Markets Act (DMA), and mentions of videogames.

Apple's new AI upgrades for Siri will not be available in mainland China or the E.U. due to regulatory issues, with the E.U. citing the Digital Markets Act and China requiring compliance with political guardrails. Apple has not provided detailed explanations for the Chinese restrictions and faces challenges in obtaining regulatory approval there.

Meta achieved a partial victory in EU courts as the General Court ruled its Marketplace should not be designated under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), but its Messenger service remains subject to the regulation.

The EU's Digital Markets Act has led to an increase in Firefox users, with 6 million opting for the browser instead of Safari or Chrome. Mozilla has seen a 113 percent increase in Firefox use on Apple devices. The company is calling for similar browser choice screens to be implemented in the UK market.

The European Commission is mandating Google to open its Android platform to competing AI services, ensuring rivals like rival assistants gain the same deep device access as Google's Gemini. This move aligns with the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) to prevent anti-competitive practices.

The European Commission has ordered Google to make Android's AI more open, citing the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Google disputes the EU's claim, calling it 'unwarranted intervention,' but the commission may enforce changes by summer. The focus is on removing built-in advantages for Google's Gemini AI to allow third-party AI services on Android.

Apple has been reported to ignore interoperability requests under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and is accused of contradicting its own documentation. The issue is highlighted by the Free Software Foundation Europe in an article linked to Hacker News comments with 51 points and 3 discussions.

Brussels has mandated Google to open its search data and provide equal access to rivals on its platforms as part of enforcing the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA). The move aims to ensure compliance with competition rules by requiring data sharing and platform access.