(Reuters) – The European Union (EU) fined Meta Platforms 798 million euros (US$840 million) for what it described as abusive practices that benefit Facebook Marketplace.
“The European Commission has fined Meta… for violating EU competition rules by linking its online classified advertising service Facebook Marketplace to its personal social network Facebook and by imposing unfair trading conditions on other classified advertising service providers on line,” said the EU executive body in a statement.
Goal (GOAL) He said he will appeal the decision, but in the meantime, he will comply and work quickly and constructively to release a solution that addresses the points raised.
The European Commission’s move comes two years after it accused the US tech giant of giving its classifieds advertising service Facebook Marketplace an unfair advantage by bundling the two services.
The European Union opened a formal procedure on Facebook’s potential anticompetitive conduct in June 2021, and in December 2022 raised concerns by the fact that Meta links its dominant social network Facebook to its online classified advertising services.
Facebook launched Marketplace in 2016 and expanded to several European countries a year later.
The EU decision argues that Meta imposes Facebook Marketplace on people who use Facebook in an illegal “link,” but Meta said that argument ignores the fact that Facebook users can choose whether to interact with Marketplace, and many do not. do.
Meta said the European Commission claimed Marketplace had the potential to hinder the growth of large online marketplaces based in the EU, but could not find any evidence of harm to competitors.
Companies risk fines of up to 10% of their global turnover for violations of EU competition.
Add Comment