SPÖ-Schieder: Stop abuse of power by online giants

2024-03-07 12:19:06

Digital Markets Act comes into force today

Vienna (OTS/SK) – Today the law on digital markets passed at EU level in July 2022 comes into force. SPÖ-EU delegation leader Andreas Schieder says: “The online world is currently dominated by giant companies that consciously exploit their enormous market power and believe that they are not accountable to anyone. That should now change: With the law for digital markets, we are putting a stop to large online corporations for the first time, because no company can be above the law. In the future, the big ‘gatekeepers’ like Apple, Google & Co. will have to adhere to binding rules, thus creating a level playing field for all companies and at the same time strengthening consumers’ freedom of choice. For example, large platforms such as WhatsApp will have to guarantee the interoperability of messenger services in the future. In the future, apps that are pre-installed on devices must also be allowed to be deleted, and access to apps from other app stores must also be guaranteed. An important step is also restricting the use of personal data. The most important thing is that if the rules are ignored, there are high penalties.” ****

Schieder adds: “By setting rules for the digital world, we are creating global standards that will be used worldwide in the future. The EU is once again proving that it is a global pioneer in protecting its citizens from the power of the big tech companies.” (Conclusion) ls