How to make your website compliant with the Digital Markets Act (DMA)

Compliance with data protection regulations affects most businesses with an online presence. But even years after GDPR implementation in 2018, 97% of EU websites fail GDPR privacy requirements.

With the Digital Markets Act (DMA) coming into force in March 2024, if you’re doing business in the European Union, European Economic Area, United Kingdom or have customers residing there, it becomes even more important to align your website with the requirements of this regulation.

In this article, we provide you with practical tips and step-by-step instructions to get your website compliant with the DMA, especially when it comes to collecting and signaling valid consent.

One of the key requirements of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) is obtaining and managing user consent for data processing activities. To help ensure compliance, you need to integrate a robust consent management platform (CMP) into your website.

Usercentrics is the best web consent management platform (CMP) offering seamless integration with the most popular web content management systems (CMS) and other website builder platforms.

To integrate Usercentrics into your website, follow these steps:

1. Sign up for a Usercentrics account and enjoy a 30-day free trial.
2. Generate the CMP script and privacy policy text tailored to your website.
3. Paste the Usercentrics CMP script into the source code of your website. The designated area for this depends on the CMS you use.
4. Save the changes and publish your website.

By integrating Usercentrics CMP, you can easily manage user consent preferences, provide transparent information about data processing activities, and achieve and maintain compliance with the GDPR, ePrivacy and DMA regulations.

To enhance user experience and comply with DMA requirements, it’s important to customize the cookie consent banner on your website.

Usercentrics provides full customization options to match the design and branding of your website, and to optimize your user interface and messaging. Follow these steps to customize the cookie consent banner:

1. Access your Usercentrics account and navigate to the customization settings.
2. Customize the banner appearance, including colors, fonts, and layout.
3. Add a clear and concise message explaining the purpose of cookies and data processing activities.
4. Specify the different types of cookies used on your website and their respective purposes.
5. Ensure Google Consent Mode is switched on to optimize your opt-in rates and gain Google ad conversion insights. On Usercentrics CMP, it’s switched on by default.
6. Enable the necessary controls for users to manage their consent preferences easily.

By providing a user-friendly and informative cookie consent banner, you can demonstrate your commitment to user privacy and compliance with the DMA privacy law.

Consent management should be a seamless and intuitive process for your website visitors. Here are some tips to optimize the user experience (UX) for consent management:

• Place the cookie consent banner in a prominent location on your website. However, note that you can’t block or prevent visitors from accessing site content unless they give consent, as that prevents consent from being voluntary and is prohibited by a number of data privacy laws.
• Use clear and concise language to explain the purpose and implications of data processing activities.
• Provide granular controls for users to choose their consent preferences, such as allowing or denying specific types of cookies.
• Implement an easy-to-use interface for users to change their consent preferences at any time. Ensure that “accept” and “deny” options are equally accessible.
• Regularly review and update your privacy policy to ensure it accurately reflects your data processing practices. You can use Usercentrics privacy policy generator for this.

By prioritizing UX in consent management, you can foster trust with your users and encourage them to engage with your website while complying with the DMA.

Compliance with the DMA is an ongoing process that requires continuous monitoring and auditing. Here are some best practices to ensure ongoing compliance:

• Conduct periodic audits to ensure that your website accurately reflects your current data processing activities.
• Regularly review and update your consent management settings based on changes in regulations or your data processing practices.
• Maintain secure, detailed records of user consent and be prepared to provide proof of compliance if requested.
• Stay informed about any updates or guidance from regulatory authorities regarding the DMA, other relevant laws, and consent management.

By proactively monitoring and auditing your compliance efforts, you can address any potential issues promptly and demonstrate your commitment to data protection.

Ensuring compliance with the DMA is essential for website owners and website management staff, marketing teams, and more, regardless of the type of website or CMS platform you use.

By following the practical tips and step-by-step instructions outlined in this article, you can ensure your website’s consent management is aligned with DMA compliance.

Remember to leverage the Usercentrics CMP for seamless integration and efficient consent management. Stay proactive and prioritize user privacy to build trust with your audience while complying with the DMA.

And if you don’t have an in-house legal team to guide your DMA compliance journey, seek specialized legal advice. Usercentrics’ global partner network is a good place to start looking for the right legal services and consultancy partner for your digital project.

Usercentrics does not provide legal advice, and information is provided for educational purposes only. We always recommend engaging qualified legal counsel or privacy specialists regarding data privacy and protection issues and operations.