BRUSSELS, March 23 - Major broadcasters have called on EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera to tighten rules for Google, Amazon, Apple, and Samsung, arguing their dominant positions in smart TV operating systems and virtual assistants need stricter oversight under the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA).
The Association of Commercial Television and Video on Demand Services in Europe (ACT), representing significant players like Canal+ and NBCUniversal, asserts these tech giants control market access and content distribution, potentially stifling competition.
They cite Android TV, Amazon Fire OS, and Samsung’s Tizen OS, which collectively hold significant market shares, as needing designation as 'gatekeepers' under DMA to ensure fairness.
The broadcasters are also concerned about virtual assistants like Amazon's Alexa and Apple's Siri, suggesting the Commission should apply DMA standards based on qualitative criteria despite not meeting quantitative benchmarks.