The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has formally released its “Focus on the Digital Economy” report for 2026, establishing a comprehensive roadmap for supervising the rapidly evolving digital landscape. This year, the regulator is shifting its primary focus toward three core pillars: bolstering European digital resilience, granting users greater autonomy over their data, and ensuring a secure online environment. As digital technology becomes increasingly inseparable from the Dutch economy, the ACM aims to mitigate the risks associated with market dominance and geopolitical vulnerability.
A central theme of the 2026 agenda is the pursuit of digital autonomy. Martijn Snoep, Chairman of the ACM Board, has highlighted the growing concern regarding over-reliance on a small number of large, non-European tech conglomerates. To address this, the regulator intends to investigate the barriers companies face when attempting to switch between cloud and ICT providers. By fostering more open markets where organizations have the freedom to choose diverse digital infrastructures, the ACM seeks to reduce the Netherlands’ vulnerability to external geopolitical shifts. This oversight extends to the domestic sector as well, with a specific investigation already launched into the market for digital learning resources in secondary education.
The enforcement of the European Data Act represents another priority for the coming year. Since assuming monitoring authority last November, the ACM has focused on ensuring that users of smart devices and cloud services can exercise their rights to data portability and provider switching. The regulator believes that transparent data sharing is the key to unlocking innovation and fair competition. To support this, the ACM will issue formal guidelines for manufacturers and data holders while simultaneously launching a market survey into data sharing within the automotive industry to identify sector-specific opportunities and obstacles.
Safety and reliability in the online sphere remain paramount, with a particular emphasis on the protection of minors. The ACM is currently scrutinizing major platforms, including Snapchat and Roblox, to determine if their safeguards for younger users meet legal standards. Beyond social media, the regulator is targeting the infrastructure of the web itself by monitoring web hosting services and their responsiveness to reports of illegal content. In light of upcoming municipal elections, the authority is also prioritizing the education of political candidates regarding their rights under the Digital Services Act (DSA) to ensure a fair and transparent democratic process.
Consumer protection efforts in 2026 will also tackle the rise of deceptive digital practices. The ACM has signaled a crackdown on “dropshipping” operations that fail to meet delivery and return obligations, as well as companies utilizing “dark patterns”—manipulative design techniques that nudge consumers into making unintended choices. The gaming industry will face specific scrutiny for these abuses due to their potential impact on children’s welfare. Furthermore, the regulator is committed to improving digital accessibility, aiming to remove the barriers that currently hinder approximately 2.5 million Dutch citizens from fully participating in the digital economy.