As we ring in the new year, we want to make you aware of key issues affecting consumers that we expect lawmakers and regulators to focus on over the next 12 months. Below are the top transatlantic consumer protection issues to watch out for in 2026:Continue Reading 2026 Year in Preview: Regulatory Consumer Protection Trends for Companies to Watch Out For
Laurine Daïnesi Signoret
EU Unveils Next Five-Year Consumer Protection Strategy
Consumer protection has become a key policy focus in the EU, as policymakers modernize competition and consumer laws to reflect the realities of the digital economy. The EU has implemented landmark regulations designed to reshape the obligations of online platforms, focusing on promoting fair competition and enhancing user protections in digital markets. Key among these are the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the Digital Services Act (DSA). See Wilson Sonsini’s previous factsheets for more information on the DMA and DSA.Continue Reading EU Unveils Next Five-Year Consumer Protection Strategy
Connecting Competition and Privacy: EU Regulators Release Draft Guidance on DMA and GDPR Interplay
On October 9, 2025, the European Commission (EC) and the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) published Draft Guidance on the interplay between the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR, and the Draft Guidance).Continue Reading Connecting Competition and Privacy: EU Regulators Release Draft Guidance on DMA and GDPR Interplay
Into the Final Stretch: Six Gatekeepers Confirmed Under the EU’s Digital Markets Acts
On September 6, 2023, the European Commission (EC) returned from its summer break with full force and announced the designation of six tech companies as so-called “gatekeepers” under the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) and…
Continue Reading Into the Final Stretch: Six Gatekeepers Confirmed Under the EU’s Digital Markets ActsThe Final Countdown: Designation of Digital Platforms Under the EU’s Digital Markets Act Formally Underway
Midnight on July 3, 2023, heralded the deadline for potential gatekeepers to notify the European Commission (EC) as to whether they meet the thresholds for gatekeepers set out in Article 3 of the Digital Markets Act (DMA).Continue Reading The Final Countdown: Designation of Digital Platforms Under the EU’s Digital Markets Act Formally Underway
EU’s Top Court Rules That Competition Authorities Can Consider Data Protection Breaches in Their Investigations
In a landmark judgment issued on July 4, 2023, the European top court, the Court of Justice (ECJ), ruled that competition authorities in the EU can consider a company’s compliance with the EU’s data protection rules when assessing whether it abused its dominant position. In addition, the ECJ ruled on important General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) clarifications on the legal bases for personalized advertising.
The judgment sets out how competition agencies should cooperate with data protection agencies when conducting competition investigations involving the consideration of whether a company’s data collection and processing practices comply with EU data protection rules.Continue Reading EU’s Top Court Rules That Competition Authorities Can Consider Data Protection Breaches in Their Investigations
Some Light Holiday Reading: Draft Procedural Guidance on the EU’s Digital Market Act Open for Consultation
On December 9, 2022, the European Commission (EC) published its draft Digital Markets Act (DMA) Implementing Regulation, which will be open for public comment until January 6, 2023. The package is designed to give guidance…
Continue Reading Some Light Holiday Reading: Draft Procedural Guidance on the EU’s Digital Market Act Open for Consultation