[Alpha Biz=(Chicago) Reporter Paul Lee] Apple and Google are expected to be the first to investigate the European Union (EU) Digital Market Act (DMA).

Citing sources, Bloomberg reported on the 21st (local time) that the European Commission will soon announce plans to investigate DMA violations against Apple and Google's parent company Alphabet.

The executive committee will look into whether Apple and Google complied with DMA regulations, focusing on new fee policies and terms and conditions imposed on app store developers. Metaplatforms that run Instagram and Facebook are also likely to be investigated in the future, sources added. The investigation is expected to be completed before November, when the term of the Margrethe Vestager EU competition commissioner ends.

The EU has implemented the world's first DMA to regulate monopoly activities of big tech companies since July 7, and has begun to clamp down on big tech. The main point of the bill is to designate platform operators of a certain size or larger as "gatekeepers" to open their services to competitors so that users' personal information cannot be used freely. In addition to Apple and Google Alphabet, the six companies selected as gatekeepers include Microsoft (MS), Metaplatform, Amazon and China's Bytedance, the parent company of TikTok. Violation can result in a fine of 10% of annual sales and up to 20% of repeated violations.

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