European Commission fined Meta 798 million euros for unfair competition

Tengrinews.kz - The European Commission has fined Meta €798 million following an investigation launched in June 2021. The corporation, which owns Facebook Marketplace, was found to have violated EU competition rules, according to DW.

Meta allegedly breached antitrust laws by tying its Facebook Marketplace service to its social media platform, Facebook. This practice gives Meta an unfair advantage over other providers of similar services, according to Brussels authorities.

Facebook Marketplace allows users to resell secondhand goods, with access granted through a Facebook profile. The EU Commissioner for Competition, Margrethe Vestager, explained that this integration provides Meta with "advantages that other online classified ads service providers could not match."

The European Commission also raised concerns about Meta’s access to competitors’ data through advertising on its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram.

Meta has announced plans to appeal the decision in court but will comply with the Commission’s directives until a ruling is issued.

Previously, the European Union initiated an investigation into the operations of social media platforms, fearing that individuals are being exposed to fake news and self-harm content.