Digital Markets Unit and the Digital Markets Competition Regime
The CMA promotes competition and innovation within digital markets.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) will oversee the Digital Markets Competition Regime (DMCR) for the most powerful digital firms, promoting greater competition and innovation in these markets and protecting consumers and businesses from unfair practices.
About the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers (DMCC) Act granted the CMA with powers to enforce the new digital markets competition regime.
The regime applies only to those firms who are designated as having strategic market status (SMS) in relation to a digital activity linked to the UK. To be designated, a firm must have substantial and entrenched market power and a position of strategic significance in that digital activity , as well as having a global turnover exceeding £25 billion, or a UK turnover exceeding £1 billion.
Designations are reviewed a minimum of every 5 years.
The regime has 3 pillars:
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conduct requirements that set out how firms with SMS are expected to behave in relation to the relevant activity
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pro-competition interventions to address adverse effects on competition
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merger reporting requirements, so that SMS firms will have to report mergers with a value of at least £25m, and UK connection, to the CMA
Request a DMU speaker for your event
Requests for DMU speakers or panellists at events should be submitted using our speaker request form.
Please fill in the form accurately and include as much detail as possible. Complete the form as far in advance as possible ahead of the event.
We can also be contacted at [email protected].
Media enquiries
Any media enquiries should be directed to: [email protected].
Digital Markets competition regime
Guidance and further information about the DMCC regime.
Merger reporting requirements for SMS firms
Memorandums of understanding
The memorandums of understanding between the CMA and other organisations set out how we will work together to avoid duplication of effort and share best practice.
Consultations
The CMA consults on guidance before it is published. All our consultations are on our consultation platform, CMA Connect.
News and updates
Our work in digital markets
The CMA is committed to ensuring that competition works well in digital markets. Some of our investigations, featured here, predate the DMCC Act.
Updates to this page
Published 7 April 2021Last updated 19 December 2024 + show all updates
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Updated with information about the digital markets competition regime.
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Updated with information about the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.
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Government has now published its consultation on proposals for the new pro-competition regime.
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First published.