Airbnb could be among the targeted platforms when the European Union presents a raft of tougher regulations targeting tech companies next month.
The European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, is due to propose a Digital Services Act package in early December. The wide-ranging regulation, which has undergone several tweaks and name changes in recent weeks,will look to ensure that smaller companies are not prevented from entering and being part of the European market at a time when concerns grow over whether certain multinationals have become too dominant.
One of the big uncertainties around the new rules is how the Commission will define “gatekeepers” as it looks to better understand which platforms will be subject to further regulation. At the moment, the concept is quite broad and represents “very large online platforms (which) account for a very large share of the digital economy in the EU.”
The rules could mean these firms are forced to share their customer data with smaller rivals and stop them promoting their own products over the competition.
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