Navigating the Intersection of the DMA and GDPR: Impacts on data-driven Markets in the EU

Details

Supervisors

Paque, Bernard

Faculty

Louvain School of Management

Degree label

Master [120] en sciences de gestion, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

enThis thesis explores the evolving interaction between two cornerstone EU regulations: the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA), and their combined impact on digital business models and innovation within the European Union. Adopting a qualitative and exploratory methodology, the research is based on expert interviews with regulators, legal scholars, startup founders, and corporate professionals. It analyses how European firms adapt to these regulations depending on their strategic posture as regulatory takers or shapers, and evaluates the trade-offs experienced by various stakeholders including large platforms, SMEs, consumers, and policymakers. The results show that the GDPR's focus on privacy and the DMA's focus on market fairness and contestability can work together and against each other. Each rule encourages user empowerment and competitive dynamics on their own, but when they are put into effect together, they still have problems with enforcement that isn't consistent and governance that isn't connected. Case studies show how these rules hinder the ability to innovate, especially for European companies trying to compete with non-EU IT giants. In the end, this study raises the question of whether the existing regulatory framework really makes things better for consumers and gives European digital markets a long-term competitive edge.