EU Fines Meta €797.72M for Facebook Marketplace Antitrust Violations

The European Commission fined Meta Platforms €797.72 million ($840.24 million) on Thursday for anti-competitive practices that violated EU antitrust rules.

According to the Commission, Meta breached EU antitrust rules by linking its online classified ads service, Facebook Marketplace, to its dominant social network, Facebook, and imposing unfair terms on competing online classified ad providers.

This integration was alleged to give Marketplace an unfair advantage, with the EU citing an illegal “tying” of services. However, Meta maintains that Facebook users have a choice about using Marketplace, and many opt not to.

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Meta plans to appeal the decision but will work promptly to address the Commission’s concerns. The fine follows a two-year investigation, launched in 2021, examining Meta’s bundling of Facebook with Marketplace.

The EU’s findings suggest Marketplace could harm the growth of other major online marketplaces in the region, though Meta argues there was no evidence of harm to competitors.

Under EU antitrust law, companies found in violation risk fines up to 10% of global revenue.