{"id":415,"date":"2023-10-12T14:22:21","date_gmt":"2023-10-12T12:22:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stage.usercentrics.com\/?post_type=knowledge&p=32187"},"modified":"2025-06-25T09:12:03","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T07:12:03","slug":"digital-markets-act-timeline","status":"publish","type":"knowledge","link":"https:\/\/usercentrics.com\/us\/knowledge-hub\/digital-markets-act-timeline\/","title":{"rendered":"Digital Markets Act timeline: a roadmap to regulation"},"content":{"rendered":"

In recent years, authorities in the European Union have had concerns about the concentration of power and lack of competition in the digital market. This has prompted the introduction of regulations to ensure greater fairness and foster competition and innovation. One such regulation is the Digital Markets Act (DMA)<\/a>. This law sets out rules for digital platforms that act as gatekeepers. In this article, we examine the DMA timeline, from when the Act became law to when it took effect and the next steps in implementing the DMA.<\/p>\n\n\n

First point on the DMA regulation timeline: The birth of the Digital Markets Act (DMA)<\/h2>\n\n\n

The journey of the DMA began with the European Commission’s (EC) recognition of the need to address the challenges posed by dominant digital platforms, owned by companies that they designated as \u201cgatekeepers\u201d. In December 2020<\/strong>, the EC published a proposal for a regulation to promote fairer markets in the digital sector. This legislation would become the DMA. The proposal aimed to establish a comprehensive framework for regulating the behavior of gatekeeper companies and the influential platforms they operated, ensuring a more level playing field for all businesses and promoting innovation and consumer welfare.<\/p>\n

The DMA was introduced together with the Digital Services Act (DSA)<\/a> in the DSA Package. The DMA proposal received significant attention and underwent a thorough legislative process. It involved consultations, discussions, and negotiations with various stakeholders, including EU member states, the European Parliament, and industry representatives.<\/p>\n\n\n

Approval and adoption of the European Digital Markets Act<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After an extensive deliberation process, the DMA received approval from both the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. In July 2022<\/strong>, the European Parliament, sitting in plenary, voted in favor of the DMA with an overwhelming majority. The Council also endorsed the text, signifying the agreement of member states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When did the Digital Markets Act come into force?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The final text of the DMA law was published in the Official Journal of the European Union<\/a> on October 12, 2022, and it officially entered into force on November 1, 2022<\/strong>. This marked a significant milestone in the regulation of digital markets and the establishment of a new framework regulating the gatekeepers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In May 2023, most of the DMA rules became applicable and on September 6, 2023, the European Commission designated the first six gatekeeper companies that need to comply with the European Digital Markets Act. In May 2024, a seventh gatekeeper was designated. The gatekeepers are: Meta, Alphabet, Amazon, Booking.com, ByteDance, Apple, Microsoft. More companies may receive this designation in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The DMA timeline into the future<\/h2>\n\n\n

The DMA timeline extends into the future with important upcoming milestones. The gatekeepers have six months from the date of their designation to comply with the new obligations, until March 6, 2024<\/strong>. By this deadline gatekeepers are required to:<\/p>\n