Turkey imposes $18.63 million fine on Meta for breaking competition laws
Turkey imposes $18.63 million fine on Meta for breaking competition laws
Meta Platforms Inc. was fined $18.63 million (or 346.72 million liras) by the Turkish Competition Authority for breaking competition laws.
According to a statement from the Turkish regulator, as published by the Xinhua news agency, the corporation has integrated the data obtained from its three applications (Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp), making the operations of its competitors more difficult and creating hurdles to market entry.
According to the watchdog, the corporation dominated the marketplaces for online video advertising, consumer communication services, and personal social networking services.
It further stated that Meta has 60 days to contest the verdict and that the amount was calculated using the company's 2021 revenue.
In 2021, when WhatsApp insisted that Turkish users provide Facebook with personal information (including phone numbers and whereabouts) or else they would be unable to use the app, the authority began looking into the matter.
As a result of WhatsApp's recent changes to its privacy settings, several groups organized by Turkish government agencies have switched to using domestic messaging apps instead.
In recent years, the Turkish government has increased oversight of social media platforms.
