[srrr]

The European Union Digital Markets Act, coming into effect in May 2023, explicitly forbids such behavior. (If twitter is classified as a "gatekeeper".)

https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-...

Example of the “don'ts” - Gatekeeper platforms may no longer:

- treat services and products offered by the gatekeeper itself more favourably in ranking than similar services or products offered by third parties on the gatekeeper's platform

- prevent consumers from linking up to businesses outside their platforms

[mhitza]

The way Elon seems to like to take his chances, Twitter pulling out from the EU/EEA market might be a possibility. Personally I think that would be beneficial, as even more would switch to Mastodon in 2023. Even if I don't use social blogging websites myself, I think that would be a net win.

[Yoric]

Having the open sewer pull out from the EU? Oh, no, that would be such a shame... /s

[vineyardmike]

I wonder what amount of twitter revenue and users are in the EU?

Also I strongly suspect that mastadon would have a lot of trouble complying with European laws (except I think some have company size minimums that mastadon instances would likely not reach).

[amelius]

> prevent consumers from linking up to businesses outside their platforms

This seems quite commonsensical. Isn't there already some other (less explicit) existing law that has the same effect?

[arlort]

Twitter is definitely not big enough to be considered a gatekeeper

[Aerroon]

So, platforms can't delete spam as long as the spam is a competitor? That's... interesting.

[jakelazaroff]

If someone follows me, that means they’ve affirmatively expressed interest in what I have to say. How is it “spam” for me to tell them how they can continue hearing from me?

[OJFord]

Odd use of 'gatekeeper' isn't it? Even if I would call this 'gatekeeping behaviour' (I don't think it is, the way that's usually used around here at least? Not to say that it isn't 'misbehaviour') surely the thing that's objected to really is gatekeeping by x platforms, where x is 'monopoly' or 'dominant' or something?

[waboremo]

Twitter is a bit of a gatekeeper is it not? So many companies ran their customer service through there, it became one of the dominant customer service platforms (alongside Facebook). On top of this, many news platforms also relied heavily on Twitter to break and share news, same with journalists who used Twitter as their only form of communication effectively.

Twitter was positioning itself as a major gatekeeper of information, and so I do think the EU should be looking into this carefully in hopes of preventing it from happening again.

[pilsetnieks]

A correct use of "gatekeeper" as it always has been.

You might be more used to the more informal social media use of the word meaning busybodies that involve themselves unasked to police people's behaviors to their own arbitrary standards; this is not it.

[srrr]

I think the term gatekeeper makes more sense if applied to companies like Apple, Google, Microsoft & Co, with their search engines, maps, app stores, operating systems, browsers ... all these are gateways to "the digital market". Twitter might be to small and comparatively niche to be classified as a gatekeeper. There does not seem to be an exact definition that I could find. But social networks as a category and companies like Meta/Facebook are listed as gatekeepers.

[labster]

If Elon is the Gatekeeper, who is the Keymaster? He kinda seems like a cultist trying to summon Zuul or NYNEX or something.