- Mauritius votes in election clouded by wire-tapping scandal
- Pakistan on fire as Australia crumble to 140 in deciding ODI
- Kim A-lim edges Guseva in Hawaii to win second LPGA crown
- Ennis overpowers Chukhadzhian to retain IBF welterweight crown
- Asia, the world's economic engine, prepares for Trump shock
- Cuba says it made arrests after protests over hurricane blackout
- Cavaliers stay unbeaten after comeback win over Nets
- Trump completes swing state sweep by taking Arizona
- Messi and Miami eliminated from MLS Cup playoffs in first round
- Trump victory poses challenges for the Fed's independence
- US farmers gird for trade wars on Trump tariff pledges
- Balinese hope construction freeze can tame tourism
- Economic woes sour prospects for China's dairy farmers
- Two months on, post-Olympic blues grip Paris
- McSweeney wins race to open for Australia against India
- Mauritius votes in close-fought election race
- Award-winning writer absent from major Algerian book fair
- Egyptians exhume the dead as historic cemetery razed
- NBA Jazz get second win despite big night for Wemby
- Salt peppers West Indies as England romp to T20 win
- 'Hungry' Dupont stars in France's win over Japan
- Liverpool sink Villa to open up five-point Premier League lead
- Lee, Barcola star as PSG stay six points clear of Monaco in Ligue 1
- Man City beaten again at Brighton as Liverpool move five points clear
- McSweeney set to open for Australia against India
- France skipper Dupont delights on return in Japan stroll
- Man City can't compete for 90 minutes admits shell-shocked Guardiola
- Liverpool open up five-point Premier League lead
- Juventus win derby to move into top three, AC Milan held in thriller
- Catherine, Princess of Wales, steps up return to work at UK memorial event
- Qatar suspends Gaza mediation, in sign of impasse
- Pelicans lose Williamson indefinitely to hamstring strain
- Afghanistan says to attend UN climate talks, first since Taliban takeover
- Tens of thousands march in Spain over handling of deadly floods
- Schmidt elated by 'aerial freak' Suaalii as Australia edge England
- AC Milan drop points in thrilling draw at Cagliari
- EU vows 'unwavering' support for Ukraine after Trump win
- Argentina put Italy to the sword
- Man City beaten again at Brighton to open door to Liverpool
- Guardiola suffers four successive defeats for first time as Brighton rock Man City
- Gauff fights back to beat Zheng for WTA Finals title
- Musiala sends Bayern ahead as rivals stumble
- Bangladesh outspin Afghanistan to level ODI series
- Monaco claim comeback win to retake second spot in Ligue 1
- 'Way too far': Amsterdam in shock after 'frightening' violence
- Bonzi fells Norrie in Metz for first ATP title
- Biden, Trump to meet at White House ahead of historic return
- Jorgensen the hero as Australia edge England in Twickenham thriller
- Vinicius treble as Real Madrid crush Osasuna, Villarreal rise
- A 'jungle': Rome's teeming jail lays bare Italy's prison ills
Big Tech now regulated like banks, says EU antitrust chief
Big Tech companies will be regulated like banks, a top EU official said on Friday, as a new landmark digital law was hailed as Europe's long overdue counterweight to Google, Meta and Amazon.
"For companies that play a role as gatekeepers, the Digital Markets Act (DMA) will (now) set the rules of the game," the EU's competition chief Margrethe Vestager told reporters hours after the law was approved.
This was "done a long time ago in sectors such as banking, telecoms, energy, transport" and at "long last, we establish the same reality here," she added.
France's representative to the EU Commission, Thierry Breton, said the law marked "a very important moment for Europe" in which public authorities have "reclaimed power".
"Everyone is welcome, but we have rules and they have to be respected," added Breton, who is commissioner for industrial policy.
Praise and some criticism poured in after negotiators from the European Parliament and EU member states agreed late Thursday on the law that will curb the market dominance of tech giants such as Google, Facebook owner Meta, Amazon and Apple.
The European Consumer Organisation hailed a "big moment for consumers and businesses who have suffered from Big Tech's harmful practices," deputy head Ursula Pachl said.
The DMA will "put an end to many of the worst practices that Big Tech has engaged in over the years".
- 'Great significance' -
The lobby for Big Tech said the DMA was of "great significance", while warning against putting "one-size-fits-all" solutions on companies that are vastly different, according to statement from the Computer & Communications Industry Association.
As the final details are worked out, "we hope sufficient resources are allocated and that impacted companies will be given a fair chance to comply," CCIA added.
Apple said Thursday night that it was "concerned" about certain "privacy and security" risks for users of its products, while Google warned of "potential risks" to innovation and the variety of choices available to Europeans.
The DMA features a long list of dos and don'ts for the Big Tech companies that would face massive fines if they failed to comply.
Vestager said that the law should be published in the EU's Official Journal around October, after being formally approved by the bloc's member states and MEPs.
The Commission will then have six months to designate the companies concerned, thought to be only the US tech giants and perhaps a handful of other players such as Booking.com or TikTok.
The first possible fines for non-compliance are not expected before the first quarter of 2024.
M.Furrer--BTB