EU Court Annuls DSA Fee Method — What It Means for Meta & TikTok

A quick, human explainer: what the EU’s General Court decided, what stays the same under the DSA, and what to watch next.

In a ruling with big policy ripples, the EU General Court annulled the method the Commission used to calculate the DSA supervisory fee for large platforms such as Meta and TikTok. The judges gave Brussels 12 months to adopt the correct legal instrument — and did not order immediate refunds of 2023 fees.

What changes (and what doesn’t)

– The fee‑setting method must be replaced within 12 months via the appropriate legal act.
– Substantive DSA duties for VLOPs (risk assessments, ad transparency, data access for researchers) remain fully in force.
– Budget planning: platforms should assume fees will resume once the framework is fixed.

Who’s affected & why advertisers should care

The supervisory fee funds EU oversight of the largest online platforms — including Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Booking, Snapchat, Pinterest and X. If the framework shifts, compliance costs and product decisions can ripple into ad tools, brand safety features and experiment velocity across Europe.

Likely next steps

1. Commission drafts a new delegated act (or similar) to re‑base the fee calculation.
2. A short consultation and impact check to avoid a 2026 gap.
3. Platforms keep provisioning for compliance while Brussels re‑tools the math.

FAQ

1. **Did Meta or TikTok “win” against the DSA?
   Narrowly and procedurally — on how the fee was enacted, not on the substance of the DSA.
2. **Will everyone get money back?
   The court didn’t order refunds for 2023 fees.
3. **Do regular businesses need to change anything now?
   No immediate changes; this is primarily between the Commission and very large platforms.