Competition fine of 347 million lira to Meta

The Competition Board has imposed an administrative fine of 346 million 717 thousand 193 lira on Meta Platforms (Facebook), Meta Platforms Ireland (Facebook Ireland Limited), and WhatsApp LLC for abusing their dominant position. The Competition Authority (RK) has decided to impose an administrative fine of 346.7 million lira on Meta Platforms, Inc., the parent company of Facebook. In the statement by the Authority, it was stated that it had unanimously decided that “Facebook’s economic integrity is dominant in the personal social networking services, consumer communication services, and online display advertising markets” and that “Facebook, by combining the data it collects from Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, which are called core services, has caused competition to be distorted by complicating the activities of its competitors operating in the personal social networking services and online display advertising markets and by creating barriers to entry into the market.” The statement stated that Facebook must submit the necessary measures to the Institution within 1 month from the notification of the reasoned decision at the latest to end the violations and ensure effective competition in the market, and that it must implement the necessary measures within 6 months from the notification of the reasoned decision. The statement also stated that a decision was made to open legal action in Ankara Administrative Courts within 60 days from the notification of the reasoned decision.