Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The EU Commission deduces that X should not be designated under the Digital Markets Act.
Today on 16 Oct 2024 the European Commission figured that the online social networking service of X should not be designated as a core platform service under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The Commission decision comes after an in-depth market examination embarked on 13 May 2024 following the notification by X of its status as a potential gatekeeper.Â
How did X respond to the EU’s gatekeeper review?
As reported by the Commission together with the notification, X also offered rebuttal arguments, explaining why its online social networking service should not, in its view, qualify as an essential gateway between businesses and consumers, even if X is supposed to meet the quantitative thresholds outlined in the DMA.
Also in July 2024, the Commission reported X of its preliminary view that it is in breach of the Digital Services Act (DSA) in areas connected to dark patterns, advertising transparency and data access for researchers. Based on an in-depth inquiry that included, among others, the breakdown of internal company documents, interviews with experts, as well as collaboration with national Digital Services Coordinators, the Commission had issued preliminary findings of non-compliance.
Why did the EU Commission reject X’s gatekeeper status?
According to the EU Commission, following a thorough review of all arguments, including input by relevant stakeholders, and after conferring with the Digital Markets Advisory Committee, the Commission concluded that X does definitely not qualify as a gatekeeper concerning its online social networking service, given that the investigation revealed that X is not an important gateway for business users to reach end users. Moreover, the Commission said that it will continue to observe the developments in the market with respect to this service, should any substantial changes arise.
