EU Decision: Elon Musk's X Escapes Gatekeeper Tag

Elon Musk's social media platform, X, will not be classified as a gatekeeper under the Digital Markets Act, sparing it from stringent EU regulations. Despite meeting user criterion, X argued it doesn't serve as a critical gateway between businesses and consumers. The EU is set to announce its decision next week.

Elon Musk's social media network, X, will not be classified as a gatekeeper under the European Union's Digital Markets Act. This decision spares the company from strict regulatory requirements that it would otherwise face if designated as such, according to individuals familiar with the matter.

The European Commission, which initiated a probe into X in May, is expected to formally announce its decision next week. Although X meets the user count threshold required for gatekeeper status, it argued it does not function as a crucial intermediary between businesses and consumers.

This investigation followed X's claim in May, leading the Commission to delve deeper into the matter. In contrast, companies like Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, TikTok's parent ByteDance, and Booking.com have been classified as gatekeepers and must adhere to specific mandates. These mandates include making messaging apps compatible with competitors and allowing users to select which apps to pre-install on devices, lest they risk penalties up to 10% of their global turnover.

(With inputs from agencies.)