Meta lost a court challenge in Luxembourg on June 3 after the EU General Court upheld the European Commission’s decision to designate Messenger as a gatekeeper under the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

The court said Messenger is an important gateway for businesses to reach users.

Messenger was designated in 2023 as a number-independent interpersonal communications service, one of the DMA’s core platform service categories.

The European Commission said the designation reflected Messenger’s evolution into a standalone service beyond Facebook.

The court also annulled Meta’s Marketplace gatekeeper designation, saying the Commission had not explained its reasoning adequately.

But the ruling has limited practical effect because the Commission had already removed the designation on April 23, 2025, after Marketplace no longer met the user threshold behind that presumption.

Messenger’s designation still matters because Meta must comply with the DMA’s interoperability requirements.

🔗 Source: Reuters

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