EU court rules against TikTok

The European Union (EU) General Court has rejected an appeal by TikTok, whose parent company is the Chinese firm ByteDance, against its classification as a "gatekeeper" by the Union.

The General Court, which is based in Luxembourg and is part of the European Court of Justice, the EU's highest court, has issued its ruling on the case brought by the Chinese firm ByteDance.

The court dismissed the lawsuit filed against the European Commission's decision to classify TikTok as a "gatekeeper."

Under the EU's law approved last year, which introduced changes to the operations of digital platforms, large digital platforms and companies operating in Europe were designated as "gatekeepers" and became subject to strict obligations.

In this context, TikTok was also defined by the EU as a "Very Large Online Platform" and classified as a "gatekeeper."

Platforms classified in this manner are required to comply with various strict rules, such as increasing competition, offering more choices to consumers, and preventing the spread of illegal and harmful content.

Digital platforms that violate these rules can face heavy fines. In the event of repeated violations, these platforms can be banned from operating in the EU.

TikTok had initiated legal proceedings against the EU's classification.