Meta announced on Wednesday that it is introducing a new feature for select Facebook users, allowing them to view eBay listings directly through its Marketplace service. This initiative comes as part of the company’s efforts to address allegations of anticompetitive practices raised by the European Union last year.
The trial will take place in Germany, France, and the United States, enabling Facebook users in those regions to browse items listed on eBay while processing their purchases on the eBay platform itself. This move follows a significant fine imposed by European regulators in November, which amounted to nearly 800 million euros (approximately $824 million), due to claims of “abusive practices” related to Marketplace.
Antitrust officials in the EU accused Meta of stifling competition by integrating Marketplace into its social network and automatically directing users to Marketplace regardless of their preference. They also alleged that Meta gained an unfair competitive edge by utilizing data connected to advertisements.
In a recent blog post, Meta expressed its disagreement with the European Commission’s ruling and reaffirmed that it is actively appealing the decision. The company emphasized its commitment to finding a solution that addresses the concerns raised while highlighting that the new feature could potentially benefit users on both Facebook and eBay.
The European Commission, which oversees antitrust regulations for the 27-member bloc, chose not to comment extensively but reiterated that Meta is required to adhere to the decision made in mid-November within a 90-day timeframe.
Following the announcement, eBay’s stock experienced a boost. The company noted that starting Wednesday, a “select number of eBay listings” would be integrated into Facebook Marketplace in the specified countries. Listings will span a range of categories, selected based on shopping trends and listing quality, although exact details were not disclosed.
Customers making purchases through this integration will follow the same procedures as they would if buying directly from the eBay website, enjoying the platform’s money-back guarantee and other buyer protections.
