Amazon, Google, Apple, Microsoft to be impacted under EU's new tech rules

The European Union has picked out 22 "gatekeeper" services, run by six of the biggest tech companies in the world to face new rules under Digital Markets Act. This is seen as part of EU’s latest crackdown on the Big Tech companies. The Digital Markets Act (DMA), which takes effect early next year, will impose a rigid regime of dos and don’ts on Big Techs. 

The rules are seen as a companion piece of legislation to the Digital Services Act (DSA), which imposes greater responsibilities on technology companies for the content shared on their sites. The DMA has been designed to level the playing field between Big Tech companies and smaller competitors. 

The wide-ranging DMA will apply to services from Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft and ByteDance's TikTok. DMA aims to improve access and the compatibility of services in Europe. 

However, it poses an unprecedented challenge to these companies' business models. Services of Google, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft and ByteDance's TikTok will be affected by this new rule.  

Alphabet's Google had the highest number of services, including Google Maps, Google Play, Google Shopping, YouTube, Google Search, Chrome, Android, Google Ads affected, while two services of Amazon are impacted - Amazon Ads and Marketplace. 

Three Apple services will be affected - Safari, iOS and App Store. 

For ByteDance, TikTok will be impacted. 

Like Google, a range of Facebook-parent Company, Metas' services too will be impacted. These include Facebook, WhatsApp, Messenger, Marketplace, Instagram and Meta Ads. 

For Microsoft, it is LinkedIn and Windows that is impacted. 

Companies that fail to comply with their DGMA obligations can be fined up to 10% of their annual global turnover for DMA violations.