Unsurprisingly, the outage hasn't affected twitters own client.
Roll on May 2023. Unless twitter want to block the EU, they will have to provide the same level of access to 3rd party clients as they do their own. If the API is down for 3rd parties, but not for twitters own client, that will be considered a breach.
The "API" isn't "down", these specific apps have been suspended in the developer center, citing a violation of the Twitter rules. Other, non-client apps still work fine.
The question is: is blocking the EU a flex that Twitter could successfully achieve? Would there be sufficient backlash against regulators to grant an exemption?
Speaking of which, I wonder if the DMA would finally let us get decent RSS bridges for Instagram and Facebook. At least we already have that for Twitter.
Sadly, I suspect (while not having read the DMA myself) that what it would require is some kind of published format for interoperability...meaning that Facebook would publish the FacebookStream API and Instagram would publish the InstaStream API, neither of which would actually look like any existing formats (or each other).
Would this work to get the EU to say they've fulfilled the DMA's terms? No idea. But Facebook has yachtloads of cash to throw at legal battles, especially where it sees a potential existential threat.
Does it even apply to something like Twitter? If it applies to Twitter then surely that means it also applies to Youtube? Does that mean youtube-dl must be officially supported? I thought it only applied to digital markets (stuff like amazon, google's advertising platform, etc)
Actually, no, it doesnt apply to twitter right now (turnover and market cap is too low). But EC can assign status anyway following market investigation.
It absolutely does apply to Youtube (finally some way to challenge youtube!), but im not sure how that affects the use of youtube-dl.
The word 'market' here is being used in the same sense it's used in 'common market' or 'free market', not as in literally a place that directly sells things to consumers.
Allowing 3rd parties to interoperate with the gatekeepers own services is one of the core obligations...
> Gatekeepers should ensure interoperability for third-party providers of number-independent interpersonal communications services that offer or intend to offer their number-independent interpersonal communications services to end users and business users in the Union. To facilitate the practical implementation of such interoperability, the gatekeeper concerned should be required to publish a reference offer laying down the technical details and general terms and conditions of interoperability with its number-independent interpersonal communications services.
> ‘interoperability’ means the ability to exchange information and mutually use the information which has been exchanged through interfaces or other solutions, so that all elements of hardware or software work with other hardware and software and with users in all the ways in which they are intended to function;
Maybe you are thinking of something other than the DMA?
More like 2027. Keep in mind the GDPR became effective in 2018 and it took just now for Facebook's blatant breach of it to finally be ruled in breach despite this being obvious with just a casual reading of the regulation.
Roll on May 2023. Unless twitter want to block the EU, they will have to provide the same level of access to 3rd party clients as they do their own. If the API is down for 3rd parties, but not for twitters own client, that will be considered a breach.