NetChoice reports 30% digital traffic drop following EU Digital Markets Act compliance

The immediate implication is a measurable loss in revenue and visibility for small-to-medium businesses that lack the advertising budgets to offset organic traffic declines. For the broader streaming and tech ecosystem, this creates a two-tiered internet where European users are last to receive high-value productivity tools and AI integrations. The friction introduced by consent banners and stripped integrations signals a shift toward static competition rather than innovation-driven growth. Watch for whether the European Commission amends interoperability requirements to address the technical security vulnerabilities cited by Apple and Meta engineers.

In May 2026, the European Commission released its own two-year review of the Digital Markets Act, characterizing the regulation as 'fit for purpose.' Per the Commission's report, the act has successfully opened gatekeeper ecosystems by enabling manufacturers of smartwatches and headphones to access enhanced interoperability. The EU also highlighted that users now have broader choices for default search engines and web browsers, as well as the ability to utilize alternative app stores and payment systems that were previously restricted by dominant platform owners.

However, major gatekeepers have continued to clash with regulators over the technical implementation of these rules. Per The Next Web in June 2026, Apple announced that its rebuilt Siri assistant would not be available on iPhone or iPad in the EU due to the Commission rejecting every proposed 'Trusted System Agent' intermediary designed to facilitate safe third-party access. Apple executives stated that the Commission's interpretation of the law would require granting third-party assistants deep system access to private messages and files, which the company claims would compromise essential user protections.

In addition to consumer-facing features, the regulatory scope has expanded into cloud infrastructure. Per Reuters and NetChoice reporting in June 2026, the Commission issued preliminary findings designating Amazon Web Services as a gatekeeper. This move signifies that Brussels is increasingly applying the Digital Markets Act to backend enterprise services, even when those services do not meet the primary quantitative thresholds for market capitalization or active user counts originally established in 2023.