The social networking site X will not be labelled a ‘gatekeeper’ in the European digital platforms market, the European Commission announced on Wednesday.
The market is dominated by a few large players, so the Digital Markets Act seeks to ensure fair competition on digital platforms, among other things by placing gatekeepers under additional obligations.
Gatekeepers must make the basic functions of their messaging services interoperable and report mergers and acquisitions in advance.
The European Commission had considered designating X (formerly Twitter) as a gatekeeper. However, after a thorough market investigation, it decided against it. The research showed that X is not a crucial link for professional subscribers to reach their end-users.
X had protested against the Commission’s intention five months ago and requested an investigation.
The networing site meets the quantitative criteria for a gatekeeper: over 45 million active users per month in Europe, at least 10,000 business users, and income exceeding €7.5 billion over three fiscal years.
So far, the Commission has designated seven gatekeepers: Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Bytedance (TikTok), Meta (Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook), Microsoft, and Booking.
X is still subject to the Digital Services Act, aimed at providing a safer online environment for individuals and businesses.
The Commission has already found that X misleads users with the blue check mark that is supposed to guarantee that accounts are verified. Elon Musk’s company risks heavy fines for this.
