During her tenure, Vestager has repeatedly attacked the world's largest tech companies, with some of the toughest actions against tech giants like Apple, Google and Microsoft.
The European Commission said Thursday that Meta “is dominant in the market for personal social networking (…) and in the national markets for online display advertising on social media.”
Launched in 2016, Facebook Marketplace is a popular platform for buying and selling second-hand goods, especially household items such as furniture.
Meta has argued that it operates in a highly competitive environment. In a post published on Thursday, the tech giant said marketplaces in Europe continue to “grow and dominate in the EU”, naming platforms such as eBay, Leboncoin in France and Marktplaats in the Netherlands as “formidable competitors”.
Meta's fine comes at a time of political transition, both in the EU and the US.
Brussels officials have been aggressive both in their rhetoric and in their antitrust investigations against Big Tech giants as they try to open markets to local startups.
Over the past five years, EU regulators have also passed a landmark piece of legislation – the Digital Markets Act – aimed at curbing dominant tech players and boosting the local tech industry.
However, some observers expect the new commission, which will begin a new five-year term in a few weeks, will take a more conciliatory tone amid fears of retaliation from the new Trump administration.
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