The European Union has fined Meta €797.72 million for violating antitrust laws by integrating Facebook Marketplace into its social media platform, giving it an unfair advantage over competitors.

The European Commission accused Meta of abusing its dominant position by automatically granting Facebook users access to Marketplace and imposing unfair trading conditions on rival classified ad providers advertising on Facebook.

“This behavior is illegal under EU antitrust rules. Meta must now stop,” said Margrethe Vestager, the EU’s competition commissioner.

Meta announced plans to appeal the decision, arguing it misrepresents competition in Europe.

“Users choose to engage with Marketplace voluntarily,” Meta stated, dismissing allegations of leveraging competitor ad data for Marketplace’s benefit.

The fine, one of the EU’s largest against Big Tech, reflects the “duration and gravity” of the violations. It comes as the EU intensifies its regulatory scrutiny through measures like the Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act.

This decision follows earlier actions against Meta, including accusations of forcing users into data-sharing agreements under a “pay or consent” system.

To address regulatory concerns, Meta recently introduced less targeted ads for free users in the EU and reduced prices for its ad-free subscriptions.