If you're European or follow news about Europe, you probably have heard about those abbreviations commonly used in international and European news websites when talking about Europe and the Internet.

In this article, my objective is to introduce you to those 3 abbreviations in the following order: I'll first talk about the GAFAM, then talk about the DSA, afterwards I will talk about the DMA, and finally achieve by the impact of the DSA and DMA.

1. What does GAFAM mean?

GAFAM is an abbreviation for Google, Apple, Facebook (Meta), Amazon, and Microsoft. The reason those are grouped (at the exception of Tiktok not being in the group) is because those well-known companies are known as "gatekeepers." Gatekeepers are companies who have not so legal concurrency and user data management practices. Most known Gatekeepers are Google with their excessive promotion of the Google services, Tiktok for their shady data collection practices, and Microsoft for their abusive advertising of their products such as Edge being pushed over Chrome or Firefox, etc.

2. What is the DSA?

The DSA or Digital Services Act is a new European regulation targeted at all gatekeepers and especially the GAFAM. The objectives of the DSA are to promote more transparency on data collection, less promotion of the other services, etc. With the DSA, companies are forced to respect this act which also adds a layer to the respect of the RGPD (Réglementation Générale de la Protection des Données personnelles)/GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) introduced 5 years ago.

3. What is the DMA?

The DMA or Digital Markets Act is the second new regulation in Europe that targets the GAFAM and other gatekeepers. The objectives of the DMA include the allowance of sideloading (install other app stores and install apps from the Internet), the consent of choosing which store to pay in app purchases, etc. The DMA mostly targets Apple with allowing the sideloading on iPhones, Google by not forcing the Play store to do in-app purchases, etc. With the DMA, the digital markets will be more ethical and respect the users' consent.

4. What will be the impact of the application of the DSA and DMA?

With the application of these new regulations, the GAFAM and other gatekeepers will have to adapt their products and services in Europe to stay. If they don't respect the DSA and/or the DMA. The sentence to pay is a fine of a certain part of the capital owned by the enterprise that is not respecting the regulations. This, of course, makes European customers feel safer on the Internet since they can not be tracked by the gatekeepers.

In conclusion, the DSA and DMA are two major regulations in Europe to promote a better Internet in the EU.

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