Meta is expecting a record EU antitrust fine by October

The company Meta Platforms is preparing to receive its first antitrust fine from the European Union for the connection between the Marketplace ad service and the social network Facebook. According to information published by the Reuters agency, the fine may reach up to 10% of the company's global revenue.

The European Commission is expected to make a final decision on the fine within the next few weeks. This decision will be the result of an investigation that began more than a year and a half ago. The commission accused Meta of giving its ad service Facebook Marketplace an unfair advantage by combining it with the social network Facebook.

The European antitrust authority also noted that Meta is abusing its dominant market position by imposing unfair competition conditions on other online ad services that advertise on Facebook or Instagram. This includes restrictions on placement of advertisements by competitors and improper use of dominant status to promote one's own service.

Meta could be fined up to $13.4 billion, equivalent to 10% of its global revenue for 2023. However, as a rule, the sanctions imposed by the EU are well below this threshold. A decision on the amount of the fine is expected to be made in September or October this year.

This fine will set an important precedent for European antitrust practice and may affect the strategies of other large technology companies in the European Union. Meta's reaction to this decision and possible further legal steps will be closely watched by experts and consumers.

Antitrust investigations against big tech companies are becoming more common in Europe as regulators try to ensure fair competition and protect consumer rights in the digital economy.