Record Penalty from the Competition Authority to Meta
The Competition Authority fined Meta 346 million 717 thousand liras for using the data collected through Facebook, Whatsapp and Instagram in a way that violates competition.
Meta Platforms Inc., MetaPlatforms Ireland Limited , WhatsApp LLC and Madoka Turkey Bilişim Hizmetleri Ltd. Sti. The competition investigation conducted against him has been completed.
According to the Report and Additional Opinion prepared within the scope of the investigation, the evidence collected, the written defenses, the statements made at the oral defense meeting and the scope of the examined file, Madoka Turkey Bilişim Hizmetleri Ltd. It has been unanimously decided that Şti has no role in the presentation of the activities under investigation and therefore cannot have any responsibility for the allegations evaluated within the framework of the investigation.
Meta Platforms, Inc. (former title Facebook Inc.), Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (former title Facebook Ireland Limited) and WhatsApp LLC; It is stated to dominate the personal purpose social networking services, consumer communication services and online display advertising markets.
It was decided that by combining the data collected from Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp services, it caused the deterioration of competition by creating barriers to entry and making the activities of its competitors operating in the online display advertising market more difficult with personal social networking services, and that Article 6 of the Law No. 4054 was violated.
For this reason, the third paragraph of Article 16 of the Law No. 4054 and the second paragraph of Article 5 of the “Regulation on Anti-Competitive Agreements, Concerted Actions and Decisions, and Fines for Abuse of Dominant Position” 346 million 717 thousand 193,40 TL to Meta Platforms, Inc, Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, WhatsApp LLC, on the basis of the annual gross income generated at the end of the 2021 financial year and determined by the Board, pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (b) of the third paragraph and the third paragraph. It was unanimously decided to impose an administrative fine.