It might not mean much to users but it really will be putting the fear of god into the likes of Apple, Amazon, and Facebook.

The law will hit a large range of internet services including App stores, online search engines, social networking services, certain messaging services, video sharing platform services, virtual assistants, web browsers, cloud computing services, operating systems, online marketplaces, and advertising services.

The Commission said the law means that third parties can to inter-operate with the gatekeeper’s own services in certain situations and allow their business users to access the data that they generate in their use of the gatekeeper’s platform.

They can provide companies advertising on their platform with the tools and information necessary for advertisers and publishers to carry out independent verification of their advertisements hosted by the gatekeeper. Gatekeepes can allow their business users to promote their offer and conclude contracts with their customers outside their platforms.  

Gatekeepers cannot treat services and products they offer more favourably in ranking than similar services or products offered by third parties on the gatekeeper's platform.  They also can't prevent consumers from linking up to businesses outside their platforms.

Users will be allowed to un-installing any pre-installed software or app if they want without being punished by the gatekeeper.

Gatekeepers will be forbidden from tracking users outside of the gatekeepers' core platform service for the purpose of targeted advertising, without effective consent being granted.