European Union: Issued European Commission ruling imposing EUR 797.72 million on Meta for anti-competitive usage of collected advertising data for Facebook Marketplace

On 14 November 2024, the European Commission fined Meta EUR 797.72 million for violating the prohibition on abuse of a dominant market position established under Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) and Article 54 of the European Economic Area (EEA). The Commission concluded that Meta abused its dominant market positions by tying its online classified ads service, Facebook Marketplace, to its social network Facebook. According to the Commission, this practice automatically provided all Facebook users access to Facebook Marketplace, significantly disadvantaging competitors by granting Meta's service a distribution advantage. Additionally, Meta was found to impose unfair trading conditions on other online classified ads services advertising on its platforms, including the social networks Facebook and Instagram, by utilising ads-related data exclusively for the benefit of Facebook Marketplace. The Commission's decision mandates Meta to cease these practices and avoid any future actions with similar effects. The fine amount was determined based on the duration and severity of the infringement, the turnover of Facebook Marketplace, and Meta's total turnover.