TikTok joins Meta in challenging ‘gatekeeper’ status under EU Digital Markets Act
The video-sharing platform, a self-proclaimed challenger in digital advertising, questions its classification based on ByteDance’s global market capitalization.
TikTok has joined Meta in opposing the ‘gatekeeper’ status imposed by the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), a law introducing stricter regulations for tech companies. The video-sharing platform contends that its designation undermines the DMA’s intended goals, emphasizing its role as a challenger rather than a gatekeeper in digital advertising.
In September, the European Union identified 22 ‘gatekeeper’ services operated by six tech giants, including Microsoft, Apple, Google, Amazon, Meta, and TikTok. Microsoft, Google, and Amazon have not contested their designations, but Apple has not yet disclosed its stance. The deadline for appeals is November 16.
TikTok challenges the basis of its gatekeeper status tied to ByteDance’s global market capitalization, which includes non-European operations, citing a lack of market investigation by the European Commission and asserting that it falls short of the DMA’s revenue threshold.
Why does it matter?
Amid the DMA dispute, TikTok is navigating challenging times in Europe as the European Commission launched official investigations under the new Digital Services Act (DSA) over measures taken to protect children’s mental and physical health. This development follows previous probes into TikTok, Twitter, and Meta regarding disinformation. Adding to the scrutiny, Amnesty International has recently voiced concerns about TikTok’s impact on mental health, specifically highlighting the rise in content related to depression and suicide.
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