DIGITAL COMPLIANCE AND ITS IMPACT ON PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AND PROMOTION

Abstract

The article examines the phenomenon of digital compliance as an independent technical and legal discipline that determines the conditions for product development and promotion in the digital economy. The study distinguishes between classical corporate compliance and digital compliance, which encompasses adherence to personal data protection requirements, cybersecurity standards, algorithmic transparency obligations, and digital advertising regulations. The normative architecture of the European Union is analysed, particularly the systemic logic of interaction between GDPR, the Digital Services Act, the Digital Markets Act, the AI Act, and the Cyber Resilience Act as a «regulatory funnel» that cumulatively transforms compliance into a cross-cutting design principle throughout the entire product lifecycle. The impact of compliance requirements on product lifecycle stages is examined in detail – from privacy by design and Data Protection Impact Assessment at the design stage to mandatory conformity assessment and CE marking of IoT devices at the release stage, as well as post-market monitoring and regulated data deletion upon withdrawal from the market. The transformation of marketing strategies under the influence of targeted advertising restrictions, cookie consent mechanisms, dark pattern prohibition, and influencer marketing regulation is explored, with particular attention to the empirical evidence of the shift from data-driven to contextual-driven advertising models. The business effects of digital compliance are assessed through the lens of enforcement practice, including cumulative GDPR fines exceeding seven billion euros, and the «compliance as competitive advantage» concept. The state of GDPR-like legislation implementation in Ukraine is determined, draft Law No. 8153 is analysed, and strategic steps for harmonising Ukrainian regulation with the EU acquis are substantiated.