Booking.com to face tough new EU tech rules
By Raziye Akkoc
Brussels, Belgium (AFP) May 13, 2024
The European Union on Monday added Dutch online travel giant Booking.com to its list of digital companies that are big enough to fall under tougher competition rules.
Brussels also said it would investigate whether social media platform X, owned by tech billionaire Elon Musk, can be exempted from the rules.
The former Twitter has filed a rebuttal arguing that “despite meeting the thresholds, X does not qualify as a important gateway between businesses and consumers,” said the European Commission, whose probe should wrap up within five months.
Booking.com, whose parent company Booking Holdings is headquartered in the United States, now has six months to prepare for compliance with the landmark Digital Markets Act (DMA).
The EU has already named six market “gatekeepers” that have to comply with the DMA: Google parent Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft and TikTok…