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Brussels (ANSA) – The European Commission has fined the parent company of Facebook for violating competition rules. The charge is twofold: according to Berlaymont Palace, the California-based group has abused its dominant position in social networks to favor Facebook Marketplace, the popular platform for buying and selling second-hand goods.
“All Facebook users automatically have access to Facebook Marketplace and are regularly exposed to it, whether they want it or not,” is the Commission’s reasoning, according to which Facebook Marketplace’s competitors risk being “excluded from the market” if they are unable to match this “significant advantage.”
According to the European Antitrust, Meta has also imposed unfair trading conditions on other providers of classified online advertising services that advertise on its platforms, particularly on Facebook and Instagram. This practice allows Meta to use data related to ads generated by other advertisers exclusively to the benefit of Marketplace.
The Vice President of the Commission, Margrethe Vestager, has thus ordered to “put an end to this conduct” deemed “illegal under EU antitrust rules.” Shortly thereafter, Meta responded, also under scrutiny by Brussels for its rules on the use of personal data for targeted advertising. “The decision ignores – according to the social giant of Mark Zuckerberg – the realities of the market and will only serve to protect historic marketplaces from competition.”
Berlaymont Palace, Meta added, has provided “no evidence of competitive harm to rivals or harm to consumers.” For this reason, while committing to work “quickly and constructively” on “a solution that addresses the raised points,” the tech giant has announced its intention to appeal against the Commission’s decision (November 14).