Which companies are covered by the Digital Markets Act?

The Digital Markets Act places its principal obligations on companies designated by the European Commission as gatekeepers for specific core platform services. These services can include search engines, app stores, operating systems, social networks and online advertising services.

Designation considers whether a company:

• Has a significant impact on the EU internal market.

• Provides an important gateway between businesses and end users.

• Holds, or is expected to hold, an entrenched and durable position.

The first designations were announced on 6 September 2023. Further decisions have added or changed the services covered, so designation must be checked at service level rather than assumed for every product a company offers.

The European Commission’s gatekeeper register provides the relevant companies, services and designation updates.

An ordinary website, retailer or advertising agency is not automatically subject to gatekeeper obligations because it operates online. However, platform changes can affect its advertising, access to data and integrations.

This explains how the DMA affects Google advertisers: the direct regulatory duties fall on the designated gatekeeper, while business users experience changes through the services they use.