Digital Markets Act (DMA)

The DMA targets the largest digital platforms, which the European Commission designates as gatekeepers; the first designations in 2023 covered Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Meta and Microsoft, with Booking added later. Their obligations apply to specific "core platform services" such as search, social networks, app stores, browsers and online advertising services, and have been enforceable since March 2024.

Several rules hit advertising directly. Gatekeepers need users' consent to combine personal data across their services or with third-party data for ads. They must give advertisers and publishers information about prices and fees paid for ads, and access to measurement tools and data needed to verify ad performance independently. They may not self-preference their own services in rankings.

Fines can reach 10% of global turnover, or 20% for repeat breaches. In April 2025 the Commission fined Meta €200 million over its "pay or consent" model for ads and Apple €500 million over App Store anti-steering rules. The DMA is distinct from the Digital Services Act, which focuses on content and platform responsibility, and from GDPR.

Think of it like this

The DMA is like special house rules that apply only to the biggest landlords in town, because their size lets them set the terms for everyone else.

An example

To show personalised ads using data from both Facebook and Instagram to EU users, Meta must obtain consent under the DMA and offer a genuinely equivalent less-personalised option.