Meta is not arguing with being designated a gatekeeper, but the company thinks the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, was wrong to specifically single out Marketplace and Messenger as core platform services. That’s because they provide 22 “core platform services” - such as Chrome and Safari browsers, WhatsApp messaging and Google Maps - that act as gateways between businesses and consumers. Labeling TikTok a gatekeeper undermines the DMA’s goal by “protecting actual gatekeepers from newer competitors like TikTok,” the company said, adding that the video-sharing app is “arguably the most capable challenger” to bigger social media rivals.Īmazon, Apple, Google and Microsoft also were given the gatekeeper label in September, along with TikTok parent company ByteDance and Meta. The Digital Markets Act will take effect by March, with a list of dos and don’ts for big tech companies aimed at giving users more choices and threatening big penalties if they don’t comply.
