European Union Court Says TikTok Owner Can’t Avoid Bloc’s Law Cracking Down On Digital Giants

LONDON —ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, cannot evade the bloc’s assault on digital giants, according to a European Union court decision issued Wednesday. The video sharing platform falls under new legislation that also applies to Apple, Google, and Microsoft.

The EU’s General Court rejected ByteDance’s legal challenge to being classified as an online “gatekeeper” subject to additional requirements under the Digital Markets Act of the 27-nation union.

Tiktok | PixaBay Image

European Union Court Says TikTok Owner Can’t Avoid Bloc’s Law Cracking Down On Digital Giants

The guideline, also known as the DMA, went into effect this year to counter Big Tech corporations’ dominance and make online competition more equitable by providing consumers with more choices.

TikTok has contended that it was not a gatekeeper but a new social media contender, taking on established giants such as Facebook and Instagram owner Meta.

However, the judges found that since 2018, TikTok had “succeeded in increasing its number of users very rapidly and exponentially” and “rapidly consolidated its position, and even strengthened that position over the following years.”

“We are disappointed with this decision,” the business wrote in a prepared statement. “TikTok is a challenger platform that provides important competition to incumbent players.” TikTok stated that it will assess its future steps and has already implemented efforts to comply with the DMA.

Tiktok | AP

European Union Court Says TikTok Owner Can’t Avoid Bloc’s Law Cracking Down On Digital Giants

The Digital Markets Act went into effect in March. It is a list of dos and don’ts for big tech “gatekeeper” businesses that aims to offer users more options but threatens significant penalties if they do not comply.

The verdict can be appealed to the EU Court of Justice, the bloc’s highest court, but only on legal grounds.

SOURCE | AP