Meta Challenges $840 Million EU Antitrust Penalty

As expected, the target has Launched an appeal Against the findings of the EU Commission that it has violated European trust rules by incorporating the Facebook market into the application, using it to give it an unfair advantage over classified competitors.

Back in November, the European Commission handed the target a a 797.72 million euros ($ 841 million) Violation of the EU market rules Related to connecting Facebook market with Facebook and the market advantages that provide a Facebook service on the market on the user list.

Finally derived from an investigation that began in 2022, when the commission alleged This Facebook violated local antitrust regulations by “distorting competition in markets for Internet classified ads” and abuse of its dominant position.

The commission was that Facebook used the proportions of its social network to give Facebook Marketplace an unfair advantage over other internet classification providers, because Facebook users got access to the market “Whether or not they want it.” The Commission also suggested that the target has imposed on the dishonest trading conditions of competitive online classified advertising services on Facebook or Instagram.

Even after a two -year investigation, the EU Commission handed over this huge punishment, which the target now wants to challenge, as part of the broader return of the company against what it considers regulatory excessiveness.

As he reported Bloomberg::

“AND [Meta] A spokesman confirmed that he had filed an appeal to the EU -U Luxembourg General Court, which is a move that escape the running of the social media giant with the EU for its suppression on Big Tech. “

Indeed, the executors of the target have long been critical of the EU regulations -the limitations they set in innovation and development. Meta also publicly criticized the EU regulations on AIwhich limited his ability to start Ai chatbot and tools to create images to European users.

This is part of the reason why Zuckerberg now wants to work closer to cooperation with President Trump, as he has exhibited in a recent interview with Podcast Joe Rogan.

Zuckerberg explained that he wanted a US government intervene and prevent EU regulators to punish US technological companies to violate the rules of antitrust rules and other violations.

Per Zuckerberg::

“The EU has fined more than $ 30 billion in the last 30 billion, I think it was 10 or 20 years old, so when you think about it, what really sums up is that kind of EU policy for the whole EU that they want to do how they want to deal with American Tech – om. It’s almost like a tariff, and I think the US government basically decides how to deal with it. If another country joked with another industry we care about, the US government would probably find a way to put pressure on them, but I think what happened here is actually the opposite, [with the] The US government [leading] The attack against companies, which then makes it like an EU, is free to just go to the city on all US companies and do whatever you want. “

Basically, Zuckerberg’s view is that the regulation of anti-Croatian technology in the US encourages other regions to implement similar approaches, allowing EU regulators to conduct huge fines, which affects the growth of US companies. Which he believes Trump will help with compensation.

“I do not want to come across as if we have no things we need to do better, obviously we are, and when we mess something, we deserve to be responsible for it, like everyone else. [But] I think the US technological industry is a bright point in the US economy, I think this is a strategic advantage for the United States to have a lot of the strongest companies in the world and I think it should be part of the US USA strategy goes ahead for defense. This is one of the things I am optimistic about with President Trump, I think he just wants America to win. “

Zuckerberg hopes Trump will help to ensure that US companies are being defended in their foreign affairs, which could then help to remove regulatory obstacles and put the path for international growth.

This case is also a key example of Zuckerberg’s question, that EU regulatory bodies are the basis of punishing US technological companies for their success, overly restrictive policies and findings, which, in his opinion, could help the government.

Perhaps this is a wider hope in this case that if the target provokes this fine and expands the procedure, it will provide Trump’s administration more time to review the case and potentially impose sanctions or other restrictions on the EU power from this cash penalty.

Either way, the target seems to have a case, and it will be interesting to see if Zuckerberg’s faith in Trump on this front will end with a dividend for the company.