Key Points
- Meta will allow rival classified ad providers to list on Facebook Marketplace after an EU antitrust fine.
- The company was fined 797 million euros for allegedly giving its service an unfair advantage.
- Meta launched the Facebook Marketplace Partner Program to comply with EU regulations.
- The initiative was tested with eBay in Germany, France, and the U.S. before launch.
Meta Platforms has announced that it will allow rival classified ad service providers to list their ads on Facebook Marketplace. This move comes three months after the European Union fined the company 797 million euros ($828 million) for allegedly giving its own service an unfair advantage.
In November, the European Commission ruled that Meta had imposed unfair trading conditions on competitors and unlawfully linked Facebook Marketplace to its core social network, violating EU antitrust regulations.
In response, Meta launched the Facebook Marketplace Partner Program, a scheme designed to address concerns the EU competition watchdog raised. While Meta has challenged the fine in court, it insists that this program is an effort to comply with regulatory requirements. The company has also echoed CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s recent comments, arguing that the EU’s decision unfairly targets U.S. technology firms and operates like a trade barrier against American businesses.
The initiative was tested last month in Germany, France, and the United States in collaboration with eBay. Under the new program, third-party online classified ad providers can list their consumer-to-consumer advertisements on Facebook Marketplace as defined in the European Commission’s ruling. Meta stated that these listings will appear alongside other third-party inventory and ads from regular Facebook users.
The European Commission has stated that it is reviewing whether Meta’s actions comply with its November decision. If the changes are deemed insufficient, further regulatory scrutiny could follow. The case highlights ongoing tensions between major U.S. tech firms and European regulators, who have been actively working to curb the dominance of Big Tech companies in various digital markets.
