Meta Under Turkish Anti-Competition Scanner Over Instagram-Threads Data Sharing

The Turkish Competition Authority (TCA) announced on Monday an interim measure targeting Meta Platforms in a move to address concerns regarding potential abuse of market dominance. As reported by Reuters, this measure is aimed at curtailing data-sharing practices between Instagram and Threads, two of Meta’s social media platforms, pending further investigation.

The authority’s action follows its initiation of an inquiry in December into Meta’s activities over potential violations of competition law. Of particular concern is the integration of Instagram with the newer Threads platform. The authority justified the interim measure by stating that data amalgamation between these platforms could breach competition laws and have detrimental effects on the market.

Under this interim measure, data-sharing activities between Instagram and Threads will be restricted until a final decision is reached. This decision is crucial as it could potentially affect Meta’s operations in Turkey significantly.

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Moreover, the Turkish competition authority imposed a daily fine of 4.8 million lira (roughly Rs 1.2 crore) on Meta in a separate investigation. This investigation was centred around a notification message sent by Meta to users regarding data sharing across its platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The authority deemed the notification insufficient and lacking transparency, asserting that it failed to adequately inform users about data-sharing practices. Additionally, the notification was criticised for seemingly guiding users towards approving data sharing without addressing anti-competitive concerns adequately.

Meanwhile, on a broader regulatory front, major tech companies such as Google, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, and ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, have been preparing for the implementation of the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Scheduled to come into effect soon, the DMA represents a significant milestone in the regulation of big tech companies. The act aims to introduce measures to rein in the unchecked power of these corporations, marking a shift towards greater accountability and oversight in the tech industry.

While the DMA is anticipated to reshape the global technology landscape, concerns have been raised regarding potential non-compliance among some of the industry’s key players. This comprehensive regulatory initiative signals a new era of scrutiny and regulation for big tech, with its implications likely to reverberate across the tech sector worldwide.