Digital Markets Act
EU law designating major platform gatekeepers; in April 2026 ordered Google to share search data on FRAND terms with a binding decision due 27 July 2026.
Last refreshed: 23 April 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
The DMA Google decision lands six days before AI Act enforcement day: has Brussels left the two instruments to collide?
Timeline for Digital Markets Act
Mentioned in: Three EU-US deadlines collide in 9 days
European Tech SovereigntyMentioned in: Brussels keeps Google DMA replies sealed
European Tech SovereigntyMentioned in: Meta raises capex twice, confirms 8k May cuts
AI: Jobs, Power & MoneyMentioned in: Commission says DMA is fit, eyes cloud
European Tech SovereigntyMentioned in: Schwarz triangle closes at $20bn merger
European Tech Sovereignty- What does the DMA require Google to share with rivals?
- Under DMA Article 6(11), the Commission's April 2026 preliminary measures require Alphabet to share anonymised search rankings, user queries, click data, and view metrics with rival search engines and AI chatbots on FRAND terms. A binding decision is due 27 July 2026.Source: European Commission, DMA.100209
- When is the DMA Google FRAND decision?
- The binding DMA decision on Google's search-data sharing obligation is expected by 27 July 2026, six days before the EU AI Act AI Office gains full enforcement powers over GPAI providers on 2 August 2026.Source: European Commission
- What fines has the EU issued under the DMA?
- In early 2026 the Commission fined Apple €500m for restricting developer communications, Meta €200m for its pay-or-consent advertising model, and X €120m under the Digital Services Act. These were the first major DMA enforcement actions.Source: European Commission
- What is FRAND in the context of the DMA?
- FRAND (fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory) is the standard the DMA requires Alphabet to apply when sharing search data with rivals. It prevents Google from setting access terms that are commercially prohibitive or selectively restrictive.Source: European Commission
Background
The Digital Markets Act entered into force in November 2022 and became fully applicable in May 2023. It designates large online platforms as "gatekeepers" subject to obligations and prohibitions designed to ensure contestable and fair digital markets. As of 2024, the Commission had designated six gatekeepers covering 22 core platform services, including Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Meta, and Microsoft. Non-compliance carries fines of up to 10% of global annual turnover, rising to 20% for repeat infringement, with structural remedies including break-up orders in the most serious cases.
In April 2026, the Commission sent Google preliminary compliance measures under Article 6(11) requiring it to share anonymised search rankings, user queries, click data, and view metrics with rival search engines and AI chatbots on FRAND (fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory) terms. A public consultation opened 17 April, closes 1 May, with a binding decision due 27 July 2026 — just six days before the EU AI Act AI Office gains full enforcement powers over GPAI models on 2 August. A parallel consultation (DMA.100220) covers Android interoperability with third-party AI services. The Commission also issued supplementary objections to Meta over WhatsApp AI access in the same fortnight.
The Act has become a major geopolitical instrument. Brussels fined Apple €500m, Meta €200m, and X €120m under the DMA and DSA in early 2026. The Trump administration responded with a Section 301 investigation branding DMA cloud rules "Economic warfare." The Google FRAND decision on 27 July will be the Act's most consequential ruling to date, arriving in the same week as the AI Act's enforcement activation — with no published coordination mechanism between the two regulatory instruments.
