Early May, HF Visiting Research Alumna, Lilla Nóra Kiss travelled to San Fransisco, to attend the Antitrust West Coast Conference. Lilla also delivered a featured presentation during the event, about Digital Markets Act (DMA) around the world.
The panel remarks at Antitrust West Coast 2025 examined the first year of the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), highlighting that despite significant operational changes and compliance efforts by major platforms, the regulation has not produced clear benefits for users or increased market contestability. The discussion emphasized global regulatory divergence, as jurisdictions such as the UK, Japan, and Canada pursue alternative models rather than replicating the DMA framework. The remarks also explored the DMA’s spillover effects on merger policy, particularly its role in constraining post-merger conduct related to self-preferencing and data use.
Lilla’s presentation received positive feedback, particularly from industry, policy, and corporate representatives who appreciated the comprehensive yet practical approach. Many highlighted the value of combining legal analysis with real-world examples to assess the DMA’s early impact and global relevance.
Attending the event offered valuable professional and personal benefits, including the opportunity to present in San Francisco and engage with a diverse audience on a high-profile panel. She connected with nearly 50 professionals—lawyers, corporate counsels from both big tech and startups, and policy experts—which expanded her network and provided new insights into how different stakeholders view digital regulation.
Lilla plans to leverage the knowledge, network, and experience gained from the event to inform her ongoing policy work on global digital regulation and to strengthen future publications and advocacy efforts. The diverse perspectives shared by legal and industry experts will help refine Lilla’s comparative analyses, while the new connections open doors for collaboration, joint events, and deeper engagement with both corporate and policymaker audiences.