EU Commission Confirms X is Not a “Gatekeeper” Under New Digital Markets Act

Today, the European Commission has confirmed that the platform formerly known as Twitter does not currently qualify as a “Gatekeeper” platform under the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA). This means that X won’t have to adhere to EU rules around access and collaboration, as part of anti-monopoly regulations.

Under the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA), gatekeeper platforms must enable third party systems to inter-operate with their services, give business users access to their data, and provide ad performance info for independent verification. This aims to ensure fair competition in the market and prevent tech giants from squeezing out smaller players.

According to the EU Commission:

“Today, the Commission found that the online social networking service of X should not be designated as a core platform service under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The decision comes after an in-depth market investigation launched on 13 May 2024 following the notification by X of its status of potential gatekeeper. Together with the notification, X also submitted rebuttal arguments, explaining why its online social networking service should not, in its view, qualify as an important gateway between businesses and consumers, even if X is deemed to meet the quantitative thresholds set out in the DMA.”

While X has been trying to avoid gatekeeper classification to avoid additional reporting and transparency requirements, the investigation revealed that X is not a significant gateway for business users, indicating a decline in relevance.

Meta and TikTok have been designated as gatekeepers in the EU market due to their strong performance and user base, in contrast to X.

Supporters of X owner Elon Musk have praised this ruling as a “win for innovation and free speech”, despite the ruling indicating X’s lack of market significance. This ruling reduces requirements for X but also reflects its fall behind the competition.