EU Fines Meta Nearly €800 Million for Antitrust Violations

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In a significant move against online monopolies, the European Union has imposed a fine of almost €800 million on Meta for breaching antitrust rules by providing automatic access to its classified ads service, Facebook Marketplace, for users of the Facebook social network.

The European Commission stated that Meta abused its dominant position by imposing unfair trading conditions on other online classified ad service providers that advertise on its platforms. “This is illegal under EU antitrust rules. Meta must now stop this behaviour,” said Margrethe Vestager, the bloc’s competition chief.

In response, Meta announced plans to appeal, claiming the decision overlooks the realities of the European market for online classified listing services. The company argued, “Facebook users can choose whether or not to engage with Marketplace, and many don’t. The reality is that people use Facebook Marketplace because they want to, not because they have to.”

This fine ranks among the ten largest antitrust penalties ever levied by the 27-nation European Union and continues a trend of significant fines imposed on Big Tech companies by the commission.

The commission detailed what it described as “abusive practices” by Meta, noting that because Facebook Marketplace is linked to Facebook, it gains a “substantial distribution advantage which competitors cannot match.” It added that all Facebook users automatically have access to Marketplace, regardless of their interest.

Additionally, the commission highlighted that Meta imposed unfair conditions on competitors in the classified ads sector who advertised on Facebook and Instagram.