Meta opens Facebook Marketplace to rivals under EU antitrust pressure

META Platforms is making significant changes to its Facebook Marketplace platform in response to a European Union antitrust order. The company will now allow classified ad firms in Europe to pay for placing their listings on Facebook Marketplace, with costs determined by user interactions. This change follows a pilot program with eBay and aims to address compliance issues with the EU’s decision.

Despite these changes, META Platforms continues to challenge the European Commission’s decision. The company expressed disagreement with the ruling, which included a €798 million fine, describing it as akin to a tariff regime. META’s leadership, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg, maintains that the penalties are unjust.

The European Commission is currently evaluating META’s compliance with the antitrust order. The order, issued in November, required META to decouple its classified-ads service from Facebook’s social media platform and to avoid imposing unfair trading conditions on competitors. This was one of the last actions taken by former EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager, who was known for her rigorous enforcement against major tech firms.

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority also investigated the allegations against Facebook Marketplace but decided to accept concessions from META instead of continuing with their inquiry. The EU’s decision is part of a broader effort to ensure fair competition in digital markets, particularly against large American technology companies.

Source: Meta opens Facebook Marketplace to rivals in EU antitrust clash