UK passes revised version of Digital Markets Bill

The UK has adopted its own version of the Digital Markets Act. This will provide a legal framework to weaken the competitive position of large technology companies.

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Act is the UK version of the European Digital Markets Act. New legislation in the UK should support the competitive position of domestic technology companies. The regulations should ultimately make them more competitive with the international technology brands that often dominate the market.

Rules for every company

The UK and the EU are therefore working to weaken the market position of mainly American and Chinese technology companies. The way to achieve this goal varies greatly. Namely, the UK sets rules for individual companies. The EU has a general set of rules that determine who must comply with them. Companies that must meet these requirements are officially called gatekeepers. The same rules then apply to every guard.

The UK approach seems very time-consuming. Overall, however, there is no doubt that codes of conduct aim to improve free trade, open elections and transparency. At the same time, they limited the duplication of activities in other areas. Indeed, the fine is imposed directly by the Competition and Markets Authority, whereas previously court approval was required. The fine can amount to up to 10 percent of global turnover.

Finally, it has not yet been determined which businesses the new UK rules will apply to.

Tip: The EU is investigating Google, Apple and Meta for breaches of the Digital Markets Act