Meta, TikTok challenge EU’s crackdown on big tech dominance

Formal challenge paves the way for a fresh legal fight between regulators and tech giants
Meta, TikTok challenge EU’s crackdown on big tech dominance

Meta is already embroiled in a dispute with the EU after the European Commission in December complained that the California-based company crushed competition from classified ad rivals by tying the Facebook Marketplace to its massive social network. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)

Meta Platforms and TikTok-owner Bytedance have formally challenged the European Union’s latest clampdown on the dominance of Big Tech firms, paving the way for a fresh legal fight between regulators and the social media powerhouses.

Meta argued that the European Commission was wrong to put Facebook’s Marketplace and Messenger services within the scope of the bloc’s new digital antitrust rules, according to an appeal filed to the EU courts on Wednesday. The legal challenge sets up a battle in the courts with EU lawyers against the bloc’s Digital Markets Act, which is designed to rein in market abuse.

Lawyers for Bytedance argued its hugely popular social media platform shouldn’t be hit by the rules. In a blog post on Thursday, the company said TikTok is “the most capable challenger” to rival social media giants.

“This appeal seeks clarification on specific points of law regarding the designations” under the DMA, a Meta spokesperson said on Wednesday. “It does not alter or detract from our firm commitment to complying with the DMA.” The commission declined to comment.

The DMA forces Meta to obtain users’ permission before sharing their data between Marketplace and other Meta-owned services. It will also require Messenger to work with rival online messaging platforms, once the obligations become enforceable next March.

More broadly, the act will make it illegal for certain platforms to favour their own services over those of rivals. They’ll be barred from combining personal data across their different services, prohibited from using data they collect from third-party merchants to compete against them, and will have to allow users to download apps from rival platforms.

Alphabet's Google Search, Apple's Safari and Amazon's marketplace are among the 22 platforms covered by the DMA. Apple is also set to file an appeal against the inclusion of some of its services.

Meta is already embroiled in a dispute with the EU after the European Commission in December complained that the California-based company crushed competition from classified ad rivals by tying the Facebook Marketplace to its massive social network. 

Meta, which is fighting the accusations in the EU, has settled a similar case launched by the UK’s competition watchdog.

Bloomberg.

More in this section

The Business Hub
Newsletter

News and analysis on business, money and jobs from Munster and beyond by our expert team of business writers.

Sign up
Lunchtime News
Newsletter

Keep up with the stories of the day with our lunchtime news wrap.

Sign up
Revoiced
Newsletter

Sign up to the best reads of the week from irishexaminer.com selected just for you.

Sign up
Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Brand Safety FAQ Help Contact Us Terms and Conditions

© Examiner Echo Group Limited