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Meta Wins Partial Court Victory Over EU Digital Markets Rules

By  |  June 3, 2026
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Meta Platforms secured a partial legal victory against European Union regulators after a court ruled that the company’s Facebook Marketplace service was wrongly subjected to key provisions of the bloc’s landmark Digital Markets Act (DMA).

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    The EU’s General Court in Luxembourg determined on Wednesday that the European Commission made errors when it designated Marketplace under the DMA, according to Bloomberg. However, the court upheld regulators’ decision to include Meta’s Messenger service within the scope of the law, delivering a mixed outcome for the social media giant.

    The judges found that European regulators failed to properly consider substantial modifications Meta had implemented to Marketplace before the Commission finalized its designation decision. According to Bloomberg, the court concluded that the Commission’s assessment of Marketplace was inadequately supported, stating that the designation “lacks sufficient reasoning” because it relied on partial evidence and what the judges described as a “hypothetical and incomplete” analysis.

    The ruling represents a setback for the European Commission’s efforts to enforce the DMA, a sweeping regulatory framework designed to curb the market power of major technology companies classified as “gatekeepers.” The law imposes a series of obligations and restrictions on dominant digital platforms operating within the European Union.

    Despite the court’s criticism of the Marketplace designation, the Commission sought to downplay the practical consequences of the decision. A spokesperson for the Commission said the Messenger ruling marked “an important step for the enforcement of the DMA” and added that the effect of the Marketplace judgment was limited because regulators had already removed the service from the DMA designation list.

    Related: States Join Fight to Revive FTC’s Meta Monopoly Case

    Meta welcomed the court’s findings on Marketplace. A company spokesperson said it welcomes the judgment, which confirms Marketplace “should not have been designated in the first place.” The spokesperson added that Meta is reviewing the court’s conclusions regarding Messenger.

    According to Bloomberg, Meta retains the option of challenging the Messenger portion of the ruling before the European Court of Justice, the EU’s highest judicial authority.

    The DMA has become one of the European Union’s most significant tools for regulating large technology firms. The legislation has also emerged as a point of contention in transatlantic relations. Bloomberg reports that the law has drawn criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump and has complicated discussions surrounding broader EU-U.S. trade negotiations.

    Enforcement of the DMA has already resulted in substantial penalties for some of the world’s largest technology companies. Apple Inc. and Meta were among the first firms fined under the legislation, receiving penalties of €500 million ($580 million) and €200 million, respectively, for alleged violations, according to Bloomberg.

    Meta’s regulatory challenges in Europe extend beyond the DMA. In 2024, Facebook Marketplace was hit with a separate €798 million fine under the EU’s traditional antitrust rules, underscoring the ongoing scrutiny the company faces from European competition authorities.

    Source: Bloomberg