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Meta is currently at the center of a massive €798 million fine ($822 million) from the European Union. In November 2024, the EU fined Meta for pushing Facebook Marketplace onto users, while making it harder for competitors to advertise on the platform.
The Commission found that Meta’s decision to tie Facebook Marketplace into the main Facebook app and website went against its standards.
It also found that it was “imposing unfair trading conditions” for other “classified ads service providers”. This could include websites like the US-based Craigslist and UK-based Gumtree. The EU says this tactic allows “Meta to use ads-related data generated by other advertisers for the sole benefit of Facebook Marketplace.”
The EU’s massive fine against Meta also joins its huge €2.4 billion Google fine for “favoring its own comparison shopping service”.
eBay comes to Facebook Marketplace after huge EU fine
Now, Meta is attempting to appease the EU by running a test in Germany, France, and the US. This will merge eBay listings into Facebook Marketplace, which users can browse and then hop into eBay to finish the purchase.
This is a different reaction from the United Kingdom, which has accepted a middle ground on the issue.
Of course, Meta disagrees with the decision and is going to appeal against the verdict. However, since the announcement, eBay’s stock has begun to rise, with a nearly 12% rise at the time of writing.
Meta has been under heavy scrutiny from the EU as it continues to grow. It recently pulled some plans to bring its artificial intelligence suite to the EU but has launched its AI-powered Meta Glasses in France, Italy, Spain, and Ireland. The company is also under fire for its recent decision to cull its fact-checking team. In an announcement video, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that the company would be following in the footsteps of Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) in introducing a crowdsourced fact-checking system.
Featured image: Meta, eBay, Pexels
