Microsoft’s search engine Bing, browser Edge, and advertising services are poised to escape classification as gatekeepers under Europe’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), according to recent reports. The DMA, effective in March, designates certain services by major tech companies as gatekeepers, including Apple, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, and TikTok parent Bytedance.

European watchdogs have reportedly concluded that Bing, Edge, and Microsoft’s advertising services do not possess sufficient dominance to warrant regulation under the DMA. While Microsoft is expected to comply with the DMA for other services, such as the Windows operating system and LinkedIn, its search engine and browser may avoid the regulatory scrutiny applied to gatekeepers.

In response to earlier regulations, Microsoft argued that Bing, Edge, and advertising services did not meet the criteria to be recognized as gatekeepers. The European Commission initiated three market investigations to assess Microsoft’s submissions on these services. The investigations, set to conclude in February after a five-month duration, have reportedly led to the determination that these specific products lack the dominance necessary for regulation.

To be classified as a gatekeeper, a service must meet specific criteria, including a market value of at least EUR 75 billion, ownership of a widely used social platform or app, and a significant user base.

While Microsoft’s Bing and Edge may avoid being labeled gatekeepers under the DMA, the company is expected to announce steps to comply with the regulation for other designated services.

This development follows EU antitrust regulators expressing the possibility of subjecting Microsoft’s investment in OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, to the region’s merger rules.

By : Kruthiga V S

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