Turkiye fines Meta platforms $18.63m for violating competition law

In this photo illustration, the Meta logo is displayed on the screen of an iPhone in front of a Facebook logo on 29 October 2021 [Chesnot/Getty Images]

Turkiye’s competition authority yesterday imposed fines of 346.72 million lira ($18.63 million) on Meta platforms, formerly known as Facebook, for its violation of the country’s competition law, news agencies reported.

In a statement, the Turkish Competition Board said it found that Meta obstructed its competitors operating in social network services and online advertising markets as it merged data collected through Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.

The Turkish Competition Board said that the fine was based on the company’s 2021 income and Meta can appeal the decision within 60 days.

According to Turkish media, the investigation was launched in 2021 when WhatsApp forced its Turkish users to share their data, including phone number and location, with Facebook, or they would not be able to use WhatsApp.

This pushed many Turks to move to the BiP, a local messaging app.

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