EU digital economy competition policy: From <i>ex-post</i> to <i>ex-ante.</i> The case of Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, and Meta

Since 2007, the European Commission (EC) has opened numerous competition cases regarding Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, and Meta (AAAM). Enforcement, however, remained elusive, prompting a new regulatory paradigm in EU known as Digital Markets Act. In this study, we analyze EC’s policy approach big tech with an emphasis on AAAM. Rather than implementing consumer welfare friendly neoclassic economics analysis, adopt critical political economy of communications (CPE) to these cases. The article explores whether does enough yield required measures preserve healthy digital sector for social much welfare.