The services, claim the companies, simply arent popular enough.
Violators risk fines of up to 20% of their global revenue.
The first list of these gatekeepers is due to be published on Wednesday.
Brussels is still considering including Apples iMessage chat app and Microsofts Bing search engine, the Financial Timesreports.
The two tech giants contend that their services arent popular enough to justify inclusion.
Supporters of the company note that Bing has a market share of just 3%.
Apple, meanwhile, says that iMessage simply doesnt have enough EU users to be classified as a gatekeeper.
As a result, the company argues that the messenger shouldnt face the same requirements as Metas WhatsApp.
The outcome of their lobbying may emerge this week.
If the services are designated as gatekeepers,the companies will have six months to meet the obligations.
Story byThomas Macaulay
Thomas is the managing editor of TNW.
He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers.
Away from work, he e(show all)Thomas is the managing editor of TNW.
He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers.
Away from work, he enjoys playing chess (badly) and the guitar (even worse).
