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By  |  December 19, 2022

The European Union is investigating Facebook-parent Meta for possible antitrust violations stemming from the tight link between its core social media service and its online shopping platform, Facebook Marketplace.

Because of Meta’s powerful position in social media, competition regulators in Europe worry that the company’s simultaneous offering of both services in a single package could allow Meta to muscle out would-be rivals in the market for online classified ads, the European Commission said Monday.

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EU officials also claim that Meta’s ability to use data gleaned from display ads purchased by rival online shopping websites on its platform could give it unfair insights that may further entrench the power of Facebook Marketplace.

The European Union has outlined the concerns to Meta in writing, the European Commission said Monday in a release.

Meta didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The company now has an opportunity to respond to the investigation.

The probe marks the latest antitrust headache for Meta, which is already defending two high-profile antitrust suits by the Federal Trade Commission.