Turkish Competition Authority Imposes Interim Measure on Meta

Turkey’s competition authority has imposed an interim measure on Meta Platforms Inc. aimed at hindering data sharing between the Instagram and Threads platforms as it investigates potential abuse of the company’s dominant market position.

Turkey’s competition commission has placed an interim measure on Meta Platforms Inc. to prevent data sharing.

Investigation Background:

In December, the authorities initiated an investigation into Facebook’s parent Meta regarding a potential violation of competition law related to linking its social media platforms, Instagram, and the newer Threads.

The authority stated that the interim measure will remain in effect until a final decision is reached. The data obtained and merged through Instagram and Threads could potentially violate competition law and cause irreparable damage in the market.

Additional Penalty:

In a separate investigation, the Turkish authority fined Meta 4.8 million lira ($148,000) daily. This penalty is related to a notification message the company sends to users regarding data sharing between its Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp services. The authority found the notification insufficiently transparent and designed to guide users to approve data sharing, which raised concerns about anti-competitive practices.

A spokesperson for Meta did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the decisions.