In a significant move, Turkey's competition authority has imposed a $160,000 daily fine on Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc. for failing to comply with a prior investigation.
Reuters reports that the Turkish Competition Board's decision stems from an investigation into the 2022 online video advertising market, revealing a split between the tech giant and Turkish regulators.
This illustration photograph taken on October 30, 2023, shows the Meta (former Facebook) logo on a smartphone in Mulhouse, eastern France.
Turkish Competition Watchdog Fines Meta
The competition authority's statement outlined that Meta was obligated to submit a detailed document outlining compliance measures to rectify its violation of the law and restore market competition following the 2022 investigation.
However, the Turkish Competition Board deemed Meta's submitted compliance measures insufficient, leading to the imposition of a daily fine effective from December 12 until a satisfactory solution is provided to the board.
This latest development comes on the heels of a 2022 fine of 346.72 million lire ($11.57 million) against Meta Platforms for violating competition law. The ongoing tension between Meta and Turkish regulators raises questions about the company's operations and its commitment to local regulations.
Meta's Questionable Content Placement
Simultaneously, a legal filing against Meta initiated by Raúl Torrez, the New Mexico attorney general, has surfaced with explosive allegations.
The Guardian tells us that the lawsuit, initiated in December, accuses Facebook and Instagram, both owned by Meta, of profiting from placing corporate advertisements next to content potentially promoting child sexual exploitation.
Torrez's filing, reviewed by The Guardian, alleges that Meta "enabled adults to find, message and groom minors" for sexual exploitation. The legal complaint includes correspondence between Meta, Walmart, and Match, the owner of dating apps Tinder and Hinge.
The advertisers reportedly objected to their material being placed next to graphic and potentially illegal content on Meta's platforms.
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Advertiser Concerns and Meta's Response
In November, Match notified Meta that ads for its dating apps had appeared alongside "disturbing" content on Reels, short videos posted by users on Facebook and Instagram.
The complaint indicates that Match believed some of the content in the Reels "is clearly promoting illegal and exploitative businesses" and included provocative images of young girls. When Meta failed to address these concerns, Match's CEO, Bernard Kim, allegedly wrote to Zuckerberg, highlighting the issue.
The legal filing also details concerns raised by Walmart, which emailed Meta in October expressing worries about the tech giant's "level of attention/consideration" to brand safety issues. Meta confirmed that Walmart advertisements were being displayed on unapproved channels, and the retailer's representatives became increasingly frustrated with Meta's response.
Furthermore, the legal complaint includes alarming evidence that child predators allegedly find victims through Instagram. Excerpts from users discussing how to lure minors into engaging with them underscore the absence of effective controls to prevent unknown adults from messaging minors on social networks.
Despite Meta's claims regarding content moderation, the lawsuit alleges that the company's tools are ineffective.
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