Digital Competition Bill may impact user experience on online platforms

A study by CUTS CIRC on the draft digital competition Bill (DCB) suggests that unbundling requirements may harm user experience on digital platforms by requiring services currently available in one app to be accessed separately. The DCB identifies bundling as an anti-competitive practice for systematically significant digital enterprises (SSDEs). This could impact 13 platforms, including Paytm, Zomato, and Swiggy. The Bill, inspired by the EU’s Digital Markets Act, mandates large digital platforms to unbundle core services, potentially decreasing user convenience and engagement. The proposed regulations affect any firm with over 10 million end-users or 10,000 business users in its core service.