Meta faces French antitrust heat over alleged ad market dominance

Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, has been officially notified by France's competition authority over suspicions of abusing its dominant position in the online advertising sector, according to media reports.

The authority confirmed on Wednesday that a statement of objections has been sent to Meta, indicating that the tech giant is under formal investigation.

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The probe stems from a complaint filed in October 2022 by Adloox, a digital advertising verification company, now owned by the U.S.-based Scope3. A spokesperson from the competition watchdog confirmed the origins of the case to Reuters.

This development adds to the mounting legal challenges Meta is facing across Europe. In April, major French media groups - including TF1, France Télévisions, and BFM TV - filed lawsuits accusing Meta of engaging in unlawful business practices related to its ad operations.

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Further scrutiny looms in Spain, where the company is expected to stand trial this October over a massive 551 million euros ($645 million) complaint, the report added. The case has been brought by more than 80 Spanish media outlets alleging Meta's advertising model creates unfair competition.

Beyond France and Spain, Meta has also been targeted by rights groups and regulators across Europe. In February, digital rights campaigners filed complaints over the company's advertising practices. And just this week, EU antitrust regulators imposed fresh fines on both Meta and Apple for violating EU competition laws.

Meta has yet to publicly respond to the French authority's latest action, the report added.

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