EU Decision-Making Process is a 'Simple Game'

It appears that the press publishers' lobby may once again get their way in Brussels, as nobody has the guts to stand up to their demands. According to Gary Lineker, the EU decision-making process is a simple game where 705 MEPs and 27 governments are chasing amendments for months and at the end, the Publishers always win. This time around, they are attempting to hijack the Digital Markets Act (#DMA) in order to line their pockets under the guise of fairness obligations on big tech. The European Commission's proposal for #DMA aims to level out competition between large digital platforms and smaller companies by imposing certain restrictions on how these platforms can operate. However, it seems that this legislation is being used as an opportunity by press publishers to gain more control over digital markets. They have proposed amendments which would give them more power over pricing of content and even limit access to certain types of content. These proposals have been met with criticism from various stakeholders who argue that it will lead to less choice for consumers and increased prices for services such as streaming services or news subscriptions. Furthermore, some experts believe that these measures could lead to further consolidation of media ownership in Europe as larger companies will be able to take advantage of these new rules while smaller ones struggle under them. It remains unclear whether or not these amendments will be accepted by MEPs but one thing is certain – if they do pass then it could have serious implications for digital markets in Europe. Consumers may find themselves paying higher prices for services while smaller companies may find themselves unable compete with larger ones due to unfair advantages granted by #DMA amendments proposed by press publishers.