EU targets smart‑TVs as gatekeepers
EU regulators and industry groups are pushing the DMA beyond search and social — calling out smart TVs and voice assistants as the next ‘gatekeepers’ that could squeeze content and commerce distribution. Meanwhile 18 European industry groups have urged the Commission to pursue a formal non‑compliance decision against Google over search behaviour, signaling a tougher regulatory phase for platform access in the EU. (theregister.com; ppc.land)
A coalition of Europe’s largest broadcasting associations sent a joint letter to European Commission EVP Teresa Ribera on March 23, 2026, asking the Commission to designate connected-TV operating systems and virtual‑assistant platforms as gatekeepers under the DMA. (aereurope.org) The broadcasters’ statement notes virtual assistants are already listed as a DMA “core platform service” but that “none have been designated so far,” and it calls for either gatekeeper designation, a market investigation if legal thresholds aren’t met, and a clarified definition of business users. (aereurope.org) The letter explicitly targets platforms operated by Google, Amazon, Apple and Samsung and cites concerns about those firms’ TV OSes and AI assistants becoming primary entry points for content discovery on smart TVs, phones, speakers and in‑car systems. (money.usnews.com) Separately, eighteen industry and consumer groups sent an open letter (dated March 15, 2026) pressing the Commission to adopt a formal DMA non‑compliance decision against Alphabet before March 25, 2026—the two‑year anniversary of the Commission opening non‑compliance proceedings on Google Search on March 25, 2024. (ppc.land) The signatories named in that coalition include the Initiative for Neutral Search, the European Publishers Council, the German Startup Association and BDZV, and they demand a formal non‑compliance ruling that could include a cease‑and‑desist order and a deterrent fine while invoking the DMA’s 12‑month benchmark (Art.29(2)) that the Commission has now exceeded. (ppc.land, bdzv.de) The coalition cites Google’s share of EU general search as “over 90%” and the groups warned that ongoing delay “erodes the profitability of European companies,” while the Commission has acknowledged receipt of the letter and says it aims to conclude the complex investigation as quickly as possible. (ppc.land, economictimes.indiatimes.com)
