By Associated Press - Monday, December 19, 2022

LONDON (AP) — The European Union has accused Facebook parent Meta of breaching the bloc’s antitrust rules by distorting competition in the online classified ads business.

The bloc’s executive commission said Monday that it “takes issue” with the tech company tying its online classified ad business, Facebook Marketplace, to Facebook.

That means Facebook users automatically have access to Marketplace “whether they want it or not,” the European Commission said.

The commission, the 27-nation bloc’s top antitrust enforcer, said Meta also imposes unfair trading conditions on competing online classified ad companies that advertise their services on Facebook or Instagram.

Companies that breach EU antitrust rules can be hit with fines worth up to 10% of their annual global revenue.

Copyright © 2024 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.

Please read our comment policy before commenting.

Click to Read More and View Comments

Click to Hide