The European Union aims to enforce the digital markets act in spring 2023, commission executive vice president Margrethe Vestager announced last week. The legislation, which introduces a new set of rules to curb the power of big tech, could be implemented as early as October of this year.

The commission will be prepared to act against any violations made by’gatekeepers’ – a classification that includes meta, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon. Vestager:’we are getting ready for enforcement as soon as the first notifications come in’.

Gatekeepers will have three months to declare their status to the commission, followed by an up to two-month wait period to receive confirmation from the EU. The wait period could mean that we wo n’t start seeing any real battles between the EU and big tech until the end of 2023.

The next chapter is exciting. It means a lot of concrete preparations,’ says Vestager.’it’s about hiring staff,’ he adds we’re aiming to come forward with the new structures soon.

Pushing back the DMA’s enforcement could give the commission more time to prepare. The delay could also serve as a catalyst for criticism if the commission fails to address any major violations.