The European Commission, through the Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG CNECT) Unit F4, has launched a “Study on monitoring app store ecosystems under the Digital Services Act under Framework Contract CNECT/2022/OP/0036”. The study is conducted by a consortium led by Wavestone in collaboration with Intellera.
The primary objective of this study is to support the Commission in fulfilling its monitoring and enforcement duties as the main authority responsible for ensuring compliance with Regulation (EU) 2022/2065. This regulation applies to very large online platforms and search engines (VLOPs and VLOSEs) concerning designated app stores.
To this end, the study will provide the EC with an analysis and mapping of the design, service, and business models of the ecosystems of app stores designated as VLOPs, including the functioning of their services and related systems, as well as the use made of these services. It will support the EC in better understanding the emerging trends in the distribution of illegal and harmful content on app stores, as well as the role played by recommender systems and advertising on selected platforms.
The survey takes approximately 40 minutes to complete and covers topics including:
- Perspectives on age assurance methods put in place by app stores and the role of third-party providers.
- Insights on age assurance implementation in the context of app stores.
- Observed experiences of parents and minors, including challenges and areas of concern.
- Feedback on common circumvention techniques.
SICs are invited to respond to the online survey and also share it with any relevant contacts and networks. The deadline to respond to the survey is Wednesday, 23 July 2025.
