contest
Cartel Office tightens supervision at Facebook group Meta
Meta logo on a smartphone. Photo: Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
The large online networks are considered by many to be too dominant. The Bundeskartellamt therefore takes a critical look at the behavior of the corporations.
The Federal Cartel Office has set the course for stricter competition supervision at the Facebook group Meta. The Bonn authority classified Meta as a company with “outstanding cross-market importance for competition”.
Since 2021, the Cartel Office has been able to prohibit these companies from practices that it believes endanger competition. At the beginning of January, the Google parent company Alphabet was already classified as such a company. Apple and Amazon are still under investigation. The Facebook group decided not to defend itself against the classification in court, said the head of the cartel office, Andreas Mundt, at a conference appearance on Wednesday.
A Meta spokeswoman said: “While we do not share the rationale that led to the Bundeskartellamt’s decision, we remain focused on providing our users in Germany with the best possible experience in compliance with all laws and regulations.” She also announced that Meta would continue to work constructively with the Cartel Office.