BRUSSELSLONDON, March 8 Reuters As the world39;s biggest tech companies revamp their core online services to comply with the European Union39;s landmark Digital Markets Act, the changes could give some smaller rivals and even peers a competitive edge.

The DMA is Europe39;s attempt to rein in Alphabet39;s Google, Amazon, Apple, TikTok owner ByteDance, Meta Platforms and Microsoft and create a level playing field for smaller rivals and ultimately more competition for Europeans.

The sweeping legislation compels some of the world39;s biggest tech companies to make it easier for consumers to pick and choose services from different providers.

The winners will be small European businesses which will get more options and more visibility than large companies, said Christophe Carugati at advisory firm Digital Competition.

For example, Meta has to make its Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp services interoperable with eligible rivals, as long as they meet the company39;s technical and security standards.

In practice, this means users of other messaging apps such as Signal and Telegram which have gained traction internationally for their emphasis on protecting user privacy could soon be able to chat with Messenger and Whatsapp contacts without switching apps.

Meta says in its compliance report it is striking a balance between creating a viable approach for the thirdparty providers interested in becoming interoperable with Meta while maximizing user security, safety, and…