{"id":39309,"date":"2026-05-12T10:15:08","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T10:15:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/europe\/39309\/"},"modified":"2026-05-12T10:15:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T10:15:08","slug":"tiktok-challenges-eu-gatekeeper-status-at-europes-top-court-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/europe\/39309\/","title":{"rendered":"TikTok Challenges EU ‘Gatekeeper’ Status at Europe’s Top Court"},"content":{"rendered":"

LUXEMBOURG, May 12 (Reuters) – Bytedance’s social \u2060media \u2060platform TikTok on Tuesday made a \u2060last- ditch attempt at Europe’s top court to scrap its designation \u200bas a “gatekeeper” under EU rules, which require it to meet tougher standards as regulators seek to curb \u200cthe power of Big Tech.<\/p>\n

The \u200ccase–the first EU Digital Markets Act “gatekeeper” challenge heard by the EU Court of Justice–could bolster \u2060or weaken \u2060Europe’s attempt to rein in Big Tech to ensure competition and more \u200bchoice for users.<\/p>\n

TikTok was designated a “gatekeeper” under DMA in September 2023, joining other companies with more than 45 million monthly users. These included Alphabet’s Google, Meta Platforms, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft and Booking.com.<\/p>\n

A lower court tribunal \u200bhad in 2024 thrown out TikTok’s challenge, saying it met DMA criteria for the \u2060gatekeeper designation.<\/p>\n

The \u2060DMA sets out an \u2060onerous list of \u200brequirements aimed at curbing the power of Big Tech, with infringement fines as high as \u200b10% of a company’s \u2060annual turnover.<\/p>\n

DOESN’T MEET THE EU’S CRITERIA, TIKTOK SAYS<\/p>\n

TikTok argued the tribunal had erred in its ruling that the company failed all three criteria for gatekeeper status: significant market impact, acting as a key business gateway to users, and holding an entrenched market position.<\/p>\n

“ByteDance showed not only that its \u2060market cap is overwhelmingly derived from its Asian businesses but also they had no \u2060connection to Europe, face different competitive dynamics and operate in a distinct regulatory, linguistic and cultural environment,” TikTok’s lawyer Bill Batchelor said at Europe’s top court.<\/p>\n

He told the panel of 15 judges that 70%-80% of TikTok users use multiple other platforms in parallel, including Meta Platform’s Facebook and Instagram, Snap and X, and hence were not locked into TikTok’s ecosystem.<\/p>\n

“We refer to this as ‘multihoming.’ That means businesses can reach the same end users via multiple other platforms,” Batchelor said.<\/p>\n

A European Commission lawyer dismissed \u2060TikTok’s arguments.<\/p>\n

“Lock-in can occur even when some degree of multihoming exists. For example, there may be specific user groups that depend on TikTok,” Mislav Mataija told the Court.<\/p>\n

The Court will rule in the coming months. Meta Platforms is also contesting its \u200bgatekeeper designation for Messenger and Marketplace.<\/p>\n

The case is C-627\/24 P Bytedance v \u200bCommission.<\/p>\n

(Reporting by Foo Yun CheeEditing by Bernadette Baum)<\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 Thomson Reuters.<\/p>\n

Photos You Should See \u2013 April 2026<\/p>\n

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