Association for Competitive Technology

Google I/O 2026 showcased incredible product innovations—from generative UI and mini apps to information agents. These updates offer small business developers expanded surface area to build, scale, and reach new consumers.

But for tech policy observers, a massive shadow looms over these advancements: the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA). Under the DMA's strict "self-preferencing" prohibitions (Article 6(5)), providing advanced features on top of core platform services could open up developers to heavy regulatory barriers and spark prolonged investigations.

This serves as a stark warning for U.S. policymakers, especially following the reintroduction of similar legislation like AICOA. If you want consumers and developers to benefit from cutting-edge innovation, European-style mandates will only defeat that purpose.

Read our Google I/O recap:

Developers Celebrate in the Sun at Google I/O as DMA Storm Clouds Gather   A few weeks ago, I traveled to Mountain View for my first ever in-person Google I/O experience. The presentations included live demonstrations and concrete examples illustrating how updates across a wide range of Google services will meaningfully benefit small businesses and consumers. The event ...