The European Union fined Meta nearly 800 million euros ($840 million) for violating antitrust rules by giving Facebook users automatic access to the classified ads service Facebook Marketplace.
The European Commission said the US tech titan also abused its dominant position by imposing unfair trading terms on other online classifieds service providers that advertise on its platforms, according to a report by AFP. .
“This is illegal under EU antitrust rules,” Margaret Vestager, the bloc's competition chief, said in a statement. Meta has to stop this behavior now.'
Meta said it intended to appeal the decision, saying it “ignored the realities of the thriving European market for online classifieds listing services.”
“Facebook users can choose whether or not to engage with the marketplace, and many do not,” the firm said in a statement. The reality is that people use Facebook Marketplace because they want to, not because they have to.'
Among the 10 largest antitrust fines ever imposed by the 27-nation European Union, it is the latest in a string of hefty fines levied on big tech companies by the bloc's regulatory commission in recent years.
Terming it an 'abusive practice' by Meta, the Commission said that 'since Facebook Marketplace is linked to Facebook, the former enjoys a substantial distribution advantage that competitors cannot compete with. All Facebook users have automatic access and are regularly exposed to the Facebook Marketplace whether they want it or not.'
Additionally, Metta imposed unfair terms on competitors in the classified ads service who advertised on Facebook and Instagram, the commission said.
