The Competition Authority announced that it was decided to impose a temporary injunction and a daily fine of 4.8 million liras in the investigation launched against META. According to the decision published on the institution’s website, META combines the data of users who create Threads profiles based on their Instagram accounts without offering users the option of approval; It was reported that it was evaluated that it would cause irreparable damages until the investigation was completed.
Within the framework of current findings; It was stated that it was decided to take temporary measures to prevent data merging behavior that may occur as a result of the data transfer mechanism between Instagram and Threads.
4.8 MILLION LIRA DAILY FINE TO META
On the other hand, it was determined that META complicates the activities of its competitors operating in the social network services and online display advertising markets by combining the data it collected from Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp services and created an obstacle to market entry, and some obligations were imposed.
In the investigation launched in 2021; It was decided that he abused his dominant position by combining data collected from Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp services, that an administrative fine of 346 million 717 thousand 193 TL should be imposed on META’s economic integrity, and that META would be obliged to eliminate the violation and establish effective competition in the market.
The period determined for the fulfillment of the aforementioned obligations ended on December 9, 2023. The recommendations ultimately submitted to the Authority by META were not found sufficient. For this reason, with the expiration of the period given to META, it was decided to impose an administrative fine of 4 million 796 thousand 152 TL per day on META.
The Board asked META to obtain re-approval from users who gave their consent to the merging of their data between Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp services before the obligation within the scope of the compliance measure is implemented.
The confirmation screen is; It was reported that users should not be directed to approve directly, it should include information that they can use the application even if users refuse, and this opportunity should be provided to users who do not want to give approval with the same ease.
It was not deemed sufficient to address the anti-competitive concerns addressed within the scope of the investigation, as it did not contain sufficient information for users and was designed to guide users to consent to data merging.
Thereupon, the Board decided to impose an administrative fine of 4 million 796 thousand 152 Turkish Liras on the gross revenues of 2022 for each day, starting from December 12, 2023, until the compliance measure to be proposed by META is entered into the Competition Authority’s records. (UAV)