The DMA: why your iPhone suddenly asks which browser you want

The Digital Markets Act (2022/1925) targets designated “gatekeepers” — Alphabet, Apple, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, ByteDance, Booking — with per-service obligations. Changes you can already touch: browser and search choice screens on phones; alternative app stores and sideloading on iOS in the EU; uninstallable pre-loads; WhatsApp opening to third-party messaging interoperability; a ban on self-preferencing (Google results, Amazon rankings); and — the privacy heart — no combining your data across services without genuine consent, which is why Meta had to offer a real alternative to pan-service tracking and why “pay-or-okay” became a DMA case (€200m fine) as much as a GDPR one. Continuous, real-time data portability from gatekeepers also flows from here. Enforcement: the Commission directly; fines to 10% of global turnover, 20% for repeats — Apple’s €500m anti-steering fine being the opening statement, with court rounds ongoing (see What’s changing). DMA vs DSA in one line: the DSA disciplines how platforms treat users and content; the DMA breaks open gatekeeper market power — and hands you exits: choice screens, portability, alternatives. Use the exits; they only stay open if walked through.