United Kingdom: Closed consultation on Meta's proposed variation to the commitments regarding its use of data obtained through digital display advertising

On 14 June 2024, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) closes the public consultation on the proposed variation by Meta to the commitments previously accepted under the Competition Act 1998. 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.