Alphabet's Google, MetaPlatforms, Qualcomm and seven other technology companies joined forces on Wednesday to promote an open digital ecosystem in response to new European Union technology rules, a move that may also affect possible future legislation.
The group, which calls itself the Coalition for an Open Digital Ecosystem (CODE), said it hopes to promote more open platforms and systems to boost growth and innovation in Europe.
The organization said it will work with academics, policymakers and companies on digital openness and how it can be achieved in Europe "through the implementation of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the development of future EU regulatory frameworks".
The Digital Markets Act requires gatekeepers (tech giants that control access to their platforms) to allow third parties to interoperate with the gatekeeper’s own services, and to allow their enterprise users to promote their products and enter into contracts with customers outside of the gatekeeper’s platform.
"Over the past few months, we have had many discussions about what a 'good' European digital ecosystem looks like, what fosters innovation and what would have a positive impact on competitiveness. We believe openness is the key factor," Lynx founder Stan Larroque said in a statement.
Other members of the alliance include Chinese smart device makers Honor and Lenovo, French augmented reality startup Lynx, U.S. telecommunications equipment maker Motorola, British electronics maker Nothing, Norwegian technology company Opera and German information services provider Wire.
The alliance said its goal is to open up digital ecosystems through cross-industry collaboration, promote seamless connectivity and interoperable systems, among other things.