CEE consumers’ DMA experience and two ways to fix it
A new ECIPE/EPPP paper, based on a 3,500-person CEE survey, finds low DMA awareness but clear UX fallout: slower launches, missing features, and safety worries. The authors urge two paths: repeal the DMA or reform it to put consumers first.
The European Center for International and Political Economy (ECIPE) and the European Public Policy Partnership (EPPP) have published a paper “What About Us? Consumer Response to the Digital Markets Act“, examining the impact of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) on consumers in the Eastern flank of the European Union.
The study relies on a large-scale regional survey conducted by Ipsos in July 2025 and commissioned by EPPP, where 3500 consumers were interviewed across seven CEE countries – Slovakia, Czechia, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
We have written before about how EU user experience has worsened under the DMA: the most innovative services launch far slower than in the US, some features never arrive, and expansive interoperability rules may also undermine consumer safety.
While the European Commission remains committed to strong enforcement of the DMA, ECIPE and EPPP argue that the DMA needs a thorough reassessment.
CEE consumers: low DMA familiarity, okay with data for free services
The paper restates a painful truth: consumers in Central and Eastern Europe are largely unfamiliar with European digital policy, including the Digital Markets Act:
“80 per cent of consumers are unfamiliar with the DMA”
The survey shows that in CEE, the majority use Google Search, Facebook, and LinkedIn, with no apparent substitutes in sight:
“70 per cent of users rely on Google Search multiple times per day. More than 75 per cent use Facebook daily, and nearly half use no alternatives to Google or Meta services at all. For professional networking, LinkedIn dominates even more strongly – over 60 per cent of consumers use it exclusively.”
Although most respondents are unfamiliar with the DMA, many have noticed changes in their experience since it took effect:
“Yet 39 per cent report needing more steps to complete tasks that were once simple. Around one-third find their digital experiences less seamless and more confusing since DMA-related changes.”
In true European fashion of wanting to have cake and eat it too, over half of CEE respondents favor strict rules for digital platforms, yet they aren’t willing to pay for ad-free services and are comfortable with data collection in free ones:
“55 per cent of respondents favour strong rules for digital platforms, even if this slows the rollout of new features. Still, 60–69 per cent continue accepting extensive data collection in exchange for free services. Only a single-digit minority are willing to pay for ad-free or privacy-enhanced subscriptions (e.g. Meta’s paid plan).”
Two ways out: repealing the DMA vs targeted reforms
The paper suggests two paths for European policymakers: either repeal the ex-ante DMA and revert to case-by-case competition enforcement, or reform the DMA by removing obligations that may sound powerful on paper, but do not benefit the consumers.
ECIPE and EPPP state that the first-best option is repealing the DMA altogether, thus avoiding “the pitfalls of vague, one-size-fits-all obligations that constrain innovation and degrade services”. The authors argue that this approach would eliminate blanket ex-ante rules that “assume harm before it occurs” and ensure flexibility and proportionality, thus protecting consumer experience without harming access to new and innovative services.
The second suggested option is scaling back the DMA with targeted reforms aimed at genuinely improving consumer experience. ECIPE & EPPP argue that the EU should revisit interoperability obligations, drop rules that don’t improve consumer welfare, ensure neutrality by applying obligations using objective criteria (not firm origin), and protect innovation by replacing broad restrictions with more moderate rules.
Reforming the DMA: three articles are the priority
If DMA reform were to land on the European Commission’s table, the authors first suggest suspending Article 7 on interoperability and Article 6(4) on marketplace access until safety, privacy, and quality are guaranteed via unified standards (e2e encryption, independent certification, strong liability). The logic is simple: opening large, established, and secure messaging systems, app stores, and marketplaces to everyone without safeguards risks fraud, malware, and weaker encryption, thus unintentionally harming consumers.
Secondly, the paper calls for a reassessment of Article 6(5) on self-preferencing prohibitions. The article currently requires that integrated features such as shopping, maps, or travel previews be removed from certain services, which has led to more steps for consumers and limited efficiency gains for rivals. The authors argue that this provision should be repealed or suspended until regulators can demonstrate measurable benefits in consumer welfare.
Egle Markeviciute
