Today, the Commission has launched investigative proceedings against Meta, Google and Apple for failing to comply with the EU’s new Digital Markets Act, in a move that will encourage consumers that they will get greater choice in online markets.

Monique Goyens, Director General of the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC), said:
“Today’s opening of investigations into Meta, Google and Apple is a sure sign that the Commission means business in enforcing the Digital Markets Act. Big Tech companies have sparked concerns that they are not taking this law seriously by not implementing key areas properly. It is only right that they now face serious and unwavering enforcement action.

“To comply with the DMA, gatekeepers like Meta must give consumers genuine choices around collecting their personal data, and not present them with prompts or other tactics that steer them to consent to the same old data collection practices.

“Scare screens, like the ones used by Apple, undermine the idea that there is a world beyond Apple’s walled garden from which consumers could benefit.

“Google’s search engine results cannot unfairly rank its services above the competition. “Consumers have a right to choose and should not have their decisions made for them. All roads should not ultimately lead to Google.

Background
BEUC already warned in February about Big Tech companies attempting to thwart the rules relating to the Digital Markets Act. We also called for strict enforcement ahead of the entry into application of the new law.

BEUC has already filed two sets of complaints based on other laws against the way in which Meta rolled out its choice screen, which the tech giant introduced in November 2023 and in which it asks consumers to pay or consent to the company’s data collection practices. The first set of complaints were based on consumer law and against the unfair practices Meta was using to seek users’ consent, while the second set published last month claim the tech giant is breaching the EU’s GDPR on several counts.