The European Union has slapped Meta with a hefty €797.72 million ($846 million) fine over claims that the company abused its dominant position by linking Facebook Marketplace to its social platform, unfairly benefiting its classified ads service. According to the European Commission, Meta’s integration strategy forced Facebook users into Marketplace, giving it an unfair distribution advantage over rivals.
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Additionally, Meta allegedly imposed restrictive conditions on third-party classified ads platforms, using data from competitors to enhance Facebook Marketplace. The company denies exploiting competitors’ ad data and expressed disappointment over the decision, pledging to appeal the fine.
This penalty is one of the largest EU antitrust fines against tech giants, underlining the serious nature of Meta’s practices. The EU has increasingly focused on scrutinizing Big Tech to ensure fair competition.
