On 25 May 2024, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) opened a public consultation on the proposed variation by Meta to the commitments previously accepted under the Competition Act 1998. The consultation closes on 14 June 2024. The variation aims to address the CMA's competition concerns regarding Meta's use of data in the context of digital display advertising services, particularly for Facebook Marketplace. The original commitments, accepted on 3 November 2023, required Meta to implement technical systems preventing the use of certain advertiser data in Facebook Marketplace operations and product development. The proposed variation seeks to extend these technical controls to cover data from all advertisers, not just Facebook Marketplace competitors, allowing for a broader application of data use restrictions. The CMA's preliminary assessment suggests that this variation could potentially exceed the original commitments' requirements, thereby addressing current competition concerns without disadvantaging any advertisers. The CMA aims to gather information from interested parties and will consult with Ofcom to consider their responses before making a final decision on accepting the proposed variation.
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