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Turkey Imposes Interim Measures on Meta Platforms

By  |  March 18, 2024

Turkey’s Competition Authority has taken decisive action against Meta Platforms Inc, the parent company of Facebook, imposing interim measures on Monday aimed at halting data sharing between Instagram and Threads platforms. This move comes amidst an ongoing investigation into potential abuse of Meta’s dominant market position.

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    The authority initiated its investigation in December after concerns were raised about Meta’s practices, particularly regarding the integration of its social media platforms Instagram and Threads. Reuters reported that the investigation was prompted by suspicions of a violation of competition law through the linkage of these platforms.

    In response to these concerns, the Turkish Competition Authority has implemented interim measures intended to prevent further data sharing between Instagram and Threads. These measures will remain in place until a final decision is reached. The authority emphasized the necessity of this action, stating that the data amalgamated through these applications could potentially breach competition laws and have adverse effects on the market.

    Furthermore, in a separate investigation, the Turkish authority has levied fines against Meta. The company is being fined 4.8 million lira ($148,000) daily for a notification message sent to users regarding data sharing practices across its platforms – Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. According to the authority, this notification failed to provide adequate information and transparency to users.

    Critically, the notification message was designed in a manner that directed users towards approving data sharing, which the authority deemed insufficient in addressing anti-competitive concerns. This lack of transparency and potential manipulation of user consent has raised significant red flags for Turkish regulators.

    These actions by the Turkish Competition Authority underscore growing global scrutiny of Meta’s practices and its handling of user data. As regulatory bodies continue to investigate and impose measures, Meta may face increased pressure to reform its operations to comply with competition laws and ensure transparency in data handling practices.

    Source: Reuters