Meta Platforms has been fined nearly €800 million by the European Commission over “abusive practices” benefiting Facebook Marketplace, its online classified ads service.
The European Union regulator said Meta had breached competition rules by tying the ads business to the Facebook social network, which the commission claimed gave Facebook Marketplace an unfair advantage over rivals.
Margrethe Vestager, the commission’s executive vice-president in charge of competition policy, said Meta’s practices gave it “advantages that other online classified ads service providers could not match”. She added: “This is illegal under EU antitrust rules. Meta must now stop this behaviour.”
The commission has fined Meta €797.72 million (£663 million).
Margrethe Vestager is due to step down as competition commissioner later this year
ALEXANDROS MICHAILIDIS/ALAMY
Meta said it would appeal against the decision. In the meantime, it said it would comply and would