27 control access to certain markets, willIn France, the Autorité has therefore be required to comply with a list of pre-decided to conduct a wide-ranging defined prohibitions and obligations. sector-specific inquiryinto n-theFi This will include banning practices suchTech sector, analysing in particular the as discrimination in favour of their owndevelopment of the role of large digital services, but also obliging them to platforms in payment services. While ensure interoperability with their ownInformation and Communication Tech- platform, or sharing the data that is pro-nologies have fostered the emergence vided or generated in the course of inte-of a wide range of companies, generally ractions between user companies and small-scale, which market innovative ser- their customers on the platform in ques-vices, often at a lower cost to the user, in tion. Failure to comply with the list ofniche markets or market segments (the prohibited conduct will result in a fine"FinTechs"), the major digital players ("Big (up to 10% of their total annual world-Tech", which cover GAFAM and BATX) are wide turnover) and periodic penalty pay-now developing services in the financial ments. The Digital Markets Act thereforeactivities sector. For example, some ser- aims to ensure that these platforms vices are already established in France, behave fairly online, and should facili-including Apple Pay and Google Pay. tate the opening up of markets by allowing the expansion of smaller plat- … forms, SMEs and start-ups. Diversification under scrutiny While until relatively recently the major platforms operated almost exclusively THE CRISIS CONTEXT in their clearly defined field of prefe- rence, they are now entering new mar- kets and even competing in the sameactivities. As such, connected devices,MAKES IT MORE PRESSING health and banking services, for ins- THAN EVER TO DEVELOP tance, represent new areas of high potential for them. While their role may be beneficial in terms of technological THE REGULATION OF and social innovations, such diversifica- tion may raise new competition issues in view of the power of these actors, ECOSYSTEMS THAT HAVE and will require in-depth analysis by the regulatory authorities in order to antici-ONLY GROWN STRONGER. pate the potential risks. REINVENTING OUR MEANS OF ACTION