One year in, EU turning up heat in big tech fight

If 2024 already looks like an annus horribilis for big tech in the EU, the months ahead could prove a winter of discontent as the bloc wields a fortified new legal armoury to bring online titans to heel.

Since August 2023, the world's largest digital platforms have faced the toughest tech regulations in the European Union, with enforcement showing no signs of slowing.

Brussels achieved its first major victory by compelling TikTok to permanently remove an "addictive" feature from a spinoff app in August, marking a year since content moderation rules under the bloc's Digital Services Act (DSA) began to apply.

This followed a week in which Brussels issued back-to-back decisions against Apple, Meta, and Microsoft. Officials indicate that more actions are on the horizon before 2024 concludes.

The EU's actions are primarily enabled by the DSA, which mandates companies to monitor online content, and the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which outlines permissible business practices for big tech.

Since the DMA's implementation in March, the EU has notably pressured Apple to back down in a dispute with Fortnite maker Epic Games over app store policies.

"The European Commission is doing the job; it is implementing the DMA with limited resources and within a short timeframe compared to lengthy competition cases," said EU lawmaker Stephanie Yon-Courtin, a digital issues specialist.

Jan Penfrat, senior policy advisor at online rights group EDRi, noted early changes: the DSA gives users the "right to complain" when content is removed or accounts are suspended, and the DMA allows users to choose their browsers and search engines through selection screens.

"This is just the beginning," Penfrat stated. He added that EDRi and other...