On October 12, 2022, the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA) was published in the Official Journal of the European Union (see here), giving clarity as to when the new rules will apply. The DMA will enter into force on November 1, 2022, and it will become fully applicable in May 2023. At that point, the gatekeeper designation process will start, and once designated, gatekeepers will have six months to comply with the DMA. This means that the DMA will only be fully enforceable against companies in spring 2024, likely around March.
Continue Reading Formal Publication of the DMA and Timelines for Compliance
Cédric Burton
EU Parliament and EU Council Approve the DMA
On July 18, 2022, the EU Council formally adopted the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA), following approval by the EU Parliament earlier this month (the press releases are available here and here). The final DMA text as approved is available here.
As next steps, the final text of the law will be signed by the Parliament and Council Presidents and will be published in the EU Official Journal. The Publications Office still needs to make some further technical edits to the text before it can be published, including to clarify the date of application (i.e., add a specific date, given that the text currently states “[6 months after entry into force]”). We expect that final publication in the EU Official Journal will take place this fall.
Continue Reading EU Parliament and EU Council Approve the DMA
EU to Open San Francisco Office to Advance Its Digital Regulation Agenda
In anticipation of its new powers to regulate the largest digital platforms, the EU is planning to open a San Francisco base to engage with these companies, which are based mostly in Silicon Valley and the broader Bay Area. The EU’s plans to open its first representative office on Californian soil reflects the EU’s intent to remain at the forefront of digital regulation initiatives worldwide.
Continue Reading EU to Open San Francisco Office to Advance Its Digital Regulation Agenda
EU Reaches Political Agreement on Additional New Rules for Digital Platforms in the Digital Services Act
The EU is close to finalizing the adoption of the Digital Services Act (DSA), which will impose new obligations on digital platforms regarding content moderation, due diligence for illegal content, and advertising transparency. It will entail significant changes to existing EU law in these areas and will impose substantial new compliance burdens on companies in regard to online content.
Continue Reading EU Reaches Political Agreement on Additional New Rules for Digital Platforms in the Digital Services Act
EU Adopts New Rules to Significantly Limit the Power of Tech Platforms
The European Union (EU) will soon be handed sweeping new rules to regulate the conduct of the largest digital platforms with the long-awaited Digital Markets Act (DMA). Following 15 months of intense negotiations on amendments to the original Proposal, the presidents of the main EU institutions (the Parliament, Council, and Commission) reached a political agreement on the final text of the DMA on March 24, 2022. The final vote is planned for July 2022, with the rules expected to come into effect in October 2022. It is expected that designated gatekeepers will need to comply by early 2024.
Continue Reading EU Adopts New Rules to Significantly Limit the Power of Tech Platforms
Political Agreement on a New Framework for EU-U.S. Personal Data Transfers
On March 25, 2022, the U.S. and EU announced that they reached a political agreement in principle on a new “Trans-Atlantic Data Privacy Framework” (the Framework). This would be the third framework for EU-U.S. personal data transfers, after the invalidation of the Privacy Shield in 2020 and of its predecessor, the Safe Harbor, in 2015. The new Framework is yet to be set out in legal documents, which will need to be negotiated and adopted. Timing for the adoption remains unclear.
Continue Reading Political Agreement on a New Framework for EU-U.S. Personal Data Transfers