February 25th, 2026 – The EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) officially took effect, marking the launch of one of the strictest regulatory frameworks for the global technology industry. Six companies – Google, Apple, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft and ByteDance – were classified as “gatekeepers” and need to complete a series of rectifications within six months, otherwise they will face huge fines of up to 10% of their annual revenue.

According to the requirements of the Act, the above-mentioned tech giants must open up their app store ecosystems, allow users to sideload third-party apps, and ensure a fair competitive environment for developers. At the same time, enterprises need to realize the transparency of algorithm recommendations and explain the logic of content push to regulators and users. In addition, the Act also puts forward strict requirements on data interoperability and platform interoperability.

Affected by this news, the technology sector in European stocks performed weakly, but U.S. tech stocks rebounded against the trend, with the Nasdaq Composite Index closing up 1.04%. Analysts believe that U.S. tech companies have made preparations for compliance in advance, and the short-term impact is limited. In the long run, the Act will break the monopoly position of tech giants and create more opportunities for small and medium-sized innovative enterprises. With the tightening of global tech regulation, countries around the world may follow the EU’s example and introduce similar policies, and the operating environment of the technology industry is undergoing fundamental changes.