Alphabet’s Google, Meta Platforms, Qualcomm, and a consortium of seven tech entities joined forces to advocate for open digital environments, responding to the EU tech regulations.
This collaborative effort, titled the Coalition for Open Digital Ecosystems (CODE), not only aims to foster open platforms but also endeavors to potentially influence forthcoming legislative measures.
CODE has emerged with a mission to champion more transparent and open platforms and systems, envisioning these changes as catalysts for growth and innovation within Europe’s tech landscape. The coalition expressed its intent to collaborate with academics, policymakers, and corporations to promote digital openness, specifically addressing the implementation of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and potential future EU regulatory frameworks.
Under the DMA, gatekeepers in the tech domain, who wield significant control over their platforms, are mandated to facilitate third-party interoperability with their services. Moreover, these gatekeepers must enable their business users to endorse their offerings and form contracts with customers independent of the gatekeeper’s platform.
Stan Larroque, founder of Lynx, emphasized the pivotal role of openness in fostering innovation and boosting competitiveness within digital ecosystems. Larroque underscored that after extensive dialogues in recent months, the consensus revolves around openness being a fundamental driver of progress.
The coalition comprises a diverse array of members, including Honor, a Chinese smart devices manufacturer; Lenovo from China; Lynx, a French augmented reality startup; Motorola, a U.S. telecommunications equipment provider; Nothing, a UK-based electronics manufacturer; Opera, a Norwegian tech enterprise; and Wire, a German messaging services provider.
CODE outlined its objectives, focusing on driving open digital ecosystems through cross-industry collaboration. Their aims include promoting seamless connectivity and fostering interoperable systems among other strategic endeavors.
