The European Commission has warned Facebook that preliminary data shows the social network is in breach of competition law when it comes to online advertising. The American company is accused of imposing unfair conditions on competitors of the Facebook Marketplace service, which has been available in Romania since November 2017.

Facebook – PurposePhoto: Rokas Tenis, Dreamstime.com

Marketplace is a service where users can sell or buy different things by following some ads, and the European Commission has previously found that Facebook is abusing its dominant position in many countries in the field of advertising.

The commission says Facebook imposes commercial terms that inhibit Marketplace competitors. There are also concerns about how users’ personal data is used.

If the investigation confirms the preliminary findings, the highest penalty can be a fine of 10% of the annual turnover.

Meta (Facebook) says the allegations are baseless and promises to work with EC officials to prove the company’s practices are aimed at supporting consumers and competition.

Facebook Marketplace was launched in October 2016 and has been available in Romania since November 2017.

Photo source: Dreamstime.com