Meta, TikTok Urge EU Court to Uphold Fee Rulings
The companies back lower-court judgments annulling EU supervisory fees under the Digital Services Act.
Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Internet
Meta Platforms and ByteDance's TikTok urged the EU Court of Justice on Thursday to uphold lower-court judgments that annulled European Commission decisions setting their Digital Services Act supervisory fees. The Commission defended its approach to counting users during a technical appeal hearing.
Why it matters
Audience figures determine how much each platform pays in supervisory fees, so the method for counting users directly affects the size of those charges. Meta's lawyer argued the Commission risked comparing apples with pears, a dispute that could shape how the EU regulates large online platforms.
The dispute is an appeal hearing, not a finalized ruling, over how the European Commission counts users to set Digital Services Act supervisory fees. The core disagreement is the user-counting method, and the court's decision on it is still pending.
The players
Meta Platforms
Meta Platforms is the American technology company that owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, and it is one of the largest online platforms subject to the EU's Digital Services Act.
ByteDance
ByteDance is the Chinese technology company that owns TikTok, and it is among the major platforms regulated under the EU's Digital Services Act.
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive arm of the European Union, responsible for proposing legislation and enforcing EU rules, including the Digital Services Act.
The details
Meta Platforms and ByteDance's TikTok asked the EU Court of Justice to uphold judgments that had annulled the Commission's fee decisions. The companies argued the regulator had not properly set out the rules for counting users, while the Commission defended its audience-figure approach at the hearing in Luxembourg.
Timeline
November 12, 2026: Meta and TikTok urged the EU court to uphold the fee annulments, and the Commission defended its user counting at the hearing.
Roadmap
The dispute tests how the Digital Services Act's supervisory fee provisions are applied to very large platforms. How the courts resolve the user-counting question will set a precedent for how the EU prices oversight of the largest online services.
The outcome could affect how much regulatory fee burden is passed through to users of large platforms. Users may see changes in the services these companies offer if the fee costs shift.
The takeaway
Fee calculations under the Digital Services Act depend on how platform users are counted, and the court's ruling will clarify the rules regulators must follow. Readers following platform regulation should watch for the decision on this appeal.
Further reading
For broader coverage of how regulators oversee online platforms, see the Internet section.
