EU fines Meta €798 million for Facebook Marketplace's 'abusive practices'

EU says integration of Marketplace into Facebook unfairly forces users to access it, giving it a competitive advantage

The European Union has imposed a €797.72 million ($846 million) fine on Meta for allegedly exploiting its dominant position by linking Facebook Marketplace to its social platform in a way that unfairly advantages its own classified ads service. 

According to the European Commission, Meta’s integration strategy effectively forces Facebook users into Marketplace, creating a substantial distribution edge over competitors.

The commission further cited Meta’s imposition of restrictive conditions on third-party classified ads platforms advertising on Facebook and Instagram. These conditions allegedly enabled Meta to leverage data from rival advertisers to benefit Facebook Marketplace exclusively. 

Meta denies using competitors' ad data for its own advantage and expressed disappointment over the EU’s decision, pledging compliance while also announcing plans to appeal.

The fine ranks among the largest EU antitrust penalties against tech giants, reflecting the "duration and severity" of Meta's practices, the commission noted. 

European regulators have recently intensified their scrutiny on Big Tech, reinforcing the EU’s stance that market leaders carry added responsibility to prevent anti-competitive practices.