• Source:REUTERS
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Antitrust regulators in the European Union (EU) are seeking feedback from users and competitors to assess if Microsoft's search engine, Bing, should follow new strict technology standards.

For those unaware, a similar inquiry has been made about Apple's iMessage. In September, the European Commission launched an inquiry to determine if Microsoft's Bing, Edge, Microsoft Advertising, and Apple's iMessage should be subject to the Digital Markets Act (DMA). These investigations followed arguments between the companies over the DMA's designation of these services as essential platform services.

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The Digital Markets Act (DMA) requires large software firms like Microsoft, Apple, Google, Amazon, Meta Platforms, and ByteDance to make it easy for third-party apps or app stores to be added to their platforms. Among other things, it attempts to make it simpler for consumers to switch from default programmes to those offered by rivals.

EU Asks Feedback From Users And Competitors:

This month, the European Commission sent questionnaires asking users and competitors to rate the significance of Apple's iMessage and the three services provided by Microsoft (Bing, Edge, and Microsoft Advertising) in comparison to alternative services. The respondents were questioned about particular features of these services that business customers depend on and how they fit into the ecosystems of the organisations. The Commission also requested information on the number of users who use these services. The timeframe for feedback was only a few days long.

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Investigation Timeline:

Within five months, the European Commission hopes to wrap up its inquiry, laying the groundwork for these digital titans' future DMA compliance.