Apple, other firms say they meet EU 'gatekeeper' definition / Photo: © AFP/File
-
Economic losses from natural disasters fall to $100 bn in first half of 2026: Swiss Re
-
Ukraine says Russia fired N. Korean missiles in deadly attack
-
Colombia scrambles to find survivors as quake kills 132
-
Oil prices jump further as hopes for Hormuz deal fade
-
Singapore says AI-related demand lifting economy
-
Trump says would be 'terrible mistake' to oust embattled Infantino
-
Demeter Tactical Investments (ME) Limited bolsters governance with two board appointments
-
Charity races to raise millions to buy historic English estate
-
Russian barrage on Ukraine kills 9, wounds dozens
-
Hungary parliament to elect Orban-critic judge as president
-
Schools closed as Indonesia battles wildfires
-
Wallabies lock Amatosero given three-match ban for Japan red card
-
Swiatek dominates Shnaider to set up Toronto semi with Svitolina
-
Swiatek races into Toronto semis as Svitolina battles through
-
Oil prices rise further as hopes for Hormuz deal fade
-
'Big Four' bowlers back as ageing Australia begin gruelling run
-
One year after Putin-Trump summit, 'spirit of Anchorage' dissipated
-
AI's hunger for power sparks US private gas plant boom
-
Farage vs Count Binface: What to know about UK snap poll
-
Memphis AI data center fuels pollution fight in Black neighborhood
-
Torment of Afghan fathers as daughters deprived of education
-
Ceuta leader wants migrant detention centre after influx
-
Return of displaced Syrian Kurds to hometown suspended after violence
-
Colombia scrambles to find survivors as quake kills 111
-
Swiatek races past Shnaider into Toronto semi-finals
-
Rain postponements wreck Montreal Masters schedule
-
Power to Hydrogen Delivers First-of-a-Kind Industrial-Scale AEM Electrolyzer to the Port of Antwerp-Bruges
-
Meta pushes global AI vision amid race with OpenAI, Anthropic and China
-
Notts Forest owner Marinakis sues Palace over gun banner - reports
-
US judge ends graft case against India's Adani
-
Koech gets three-year ban, stripped of US 1,500m title
-
Anderson retires after 10 MLB seasons after 'too much pain'
-
Sensational Ingebrigtsen back with more European gold
-
Colombia in state of emergency as quake kills 111
-
'A scare': Brazil player leaps into tunnel in joy over goal
-
Britain's Amy Hunt wins European women's 100m gold
-
USA Swimming CFO Hilliard arrested for alleged theft
-
Trump order pushes for overhaul of childhood vaccine schedule
-
Trump insists Netanyahu relationship 'very good' despite Gaza rift
-
Global stocks mixed while oil prices jump on Hormuz
-
Ingebrigtsen delivers masterclass for seventh European athletics gold
-
Turkey MPs back historic law on reintegrating Kurdish militants
-
Colombia declares state of emergency after quake kills 111
-
'Dreams disappear' as Gaza students await evacuation to Italy
-
Golden relay double for Britain at Europeans as Marchand takes silver
-
Third European gold for Schilder in women's shot put
-
Barcelona's Araujo heads to Liverpool on loan
-
Golden relay double for Britain at Europeans as Marchand settles for silver
-
Tupac Shakur murder trial begins 30 years after rapper's death
-
US had hottest month on record in July
Apple, other firms say they meet EU 'gatekeeper' definition
Seven tech giants, including Amazon and Apple, have informed the European Union they meet the threshold to come under landmark new rules to curb their market dominance, Brussels said Tuesday.
The firms -- Google parent Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, TikTok owner ByteDance, Facebook umbrella Meta, Microsoft and Samsung -- said they had revenue and user figures big enough to be classed as "gatekeepers", EU internal market commissioner Thierry Breton said.
Under the EU's Digital Markets Act, the designation will subject them to tougher regulation aimed at stopping them from seeking to "lock in users in their ecosystem," Breton said.
That involves making messenger services interoperable so users can send messages between different apps, and preventing companies from controlling what apps are pre-installed on phones or directing users to their products.
The legislation tries to ensure smaller players will be able to enter the market without Silicon Valley behemoths stomping on them before they get off the ground.
The EU will make a formal determination by September 6 on which companies will be labelled "gatekeepers".
Europe's push comes amid a broader international drive to rein in the power of big tech.
The 27-nation bloc has also introduced tougher rules aimed at curbing disinformation and hate content on major online platforms.
D.Schneider--BTB