Is the Digital Markets Act Ready for the Age of AI?

Key Takeaways

• First DMA Review Underway: The European Commission has launched its first review of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), with feedback due by 24 September 2025.
• AI in the Spotlight: A new questionnaire seeks views on how the DMA can address challenges from AI-powered services and ensure fair competition in the sector.
• SMEs and Consumers Focus: The review will assess whether the DMA is reducing barriers for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and delivering benefits for consumers.
• Report by 2026: Findings will feed into a report to the European Parliament, Council, and European Economic and Social Committee, due by 3 May 2026.
• Potential Adjustments: While the review itself won’t create new obligations, it could influence future changes to scope, obligations, and enforcement.

Deep Dive

The European Commission has opened the floor to anyone with a stake in the digital economy (from startups to tech giants, academics to everyday consumers) to weigh in on how well the Digital Markets Act (DMA) is doing its job. The law, designed to keep the biggest platforms in check and give smaller players a fighting chance, is now under review. And this time, artificial intelligence is front and center.

The DMA has only been fully in force since March 2024, but under its rules, the Commission must take stock by May 2026. Think of it as a health check: is the law really making markets fairer and more contestable, or is it just another Brussels policy with good intentions and limited bite?

That’s where this consultation comes in. A call for evidence went live this week, paired with an AI-specific questionnaire, and the Commission is asking for answers before 24 September.

What’s at Stake

The law’s main targets are the so-called “gatekeepers”, those massive platforms running search engines, app stores, messaging services and more. They’re bound by new obligations to avoid the kind of practices that critics say lock out competition and leave consumers with fewer choices at higher prices.

But as artificial intelligence races ahead, Brussels wants to know whether the DMA can handle the next wave of disruption. Can it keep AI-driven services from being swallowed up by entrenched platforms? Can it ensure smaller companies and innovators aren’t left on the sidelines?

For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), this review could shape whether barriers really come down, or whether competing against the digital behemoths remains an uphill climb. For consumers, the question is whether the law translates into better services at fairer prices.

What Happens Now

The Commission won’t be rewriting the law overnight. This review won’t come with new obligations, but the findings will inform a report to the European Parliament, the Council and the European Economic and Social Committee by May 2026. From there, adjustments could be made, whether it’s expanding the scope of services covered, fine-tuning the obligations already in place, or recalibrating enforcement.

In the meantime, the Commission is listening. Stakeholders can submit views in any EU language, and contributions, whether from industry groups, civil society, or individual citizens, will be published on the Commission’s website.

This isn’t just bureaucratic box-ticking. It’s about the EU testing whether one of its flagship digital laws can keep pace with technology that’s evolving faster than regulators can draft legislation. The DMA was pitched as a way to level the playing field. Now, with AI rising, the stakes are only higher.

The deadline for submissions is 24 September 2025 at 23:59 CEST. After that, it’s over to Brussels to decide whether the DMA is fit for the future, or whether it needs a sharper edge.

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