Consultation on the proposed variation to the commitments in respect of Meta’s use of advertising data
Detail of outcome
20 August 2024: Following the CMA’s assessment of the consultation responses, the CMA accepted the variation of commitments in case 51013 offered by Meta.
Original consultation
Consultation description
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) invites views on a variation of the commitments offered by Meta to address the CMA’s competition concerns in the context of its prior investigation under the Competition Act 1998. These commitments related to Meta’s conduct in relation to the collection and use of data obtained through the provision of digital display advertising services.
The CMA accepted binding commitments relating to the prior investigation on 3 November 2023 (the Current Commitments). These required Meta to implement technical systems to prevent the use of certain advertiser data in the operation of Facebook Marketplace, and to ensure that employees refrain from using certain advertising data for product development in competition with advertisers. Meta’s proposed variation to the commitments (the Proposed Variation) includes the possibility for Meta to limit the use of certain data from all advertisers from being used in the operation and development of Facebook Marketplace.
The CMA provisionally considers that the Proposed Variation addresses the competition concerns identified by the CMA for the reasons set out in the Notice of Intention to Accept a Variation of Commitments. Therefore, subject to consultation responses, the CMA proposes to accept the Proposed Variation.
The CMA welcomes comments on the Proposed Variation. When responding to this consultation, please quote case reference 51013.
More information can be found on the investigation into Meta’s (formerly Facebook) use of data case page.
You can find more information about how the CMA handles personal information in the CMA’s Personal Information Charter.