An adviser to Europe’s highest court has sided with European Union antitrust authorities in their dispute with Meta Platforms, dealing a setback to the U.S. technology company’s challenge over regulatory information demands.
According to Reuters, the opinion was delivered on Thursday by Advocate General Athanasios Rantos at the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union. The dispute centers on Meta’s objections to what it described as excessive requests for information issued by the European Commission during two separate investigations involving its Facebook social network and online classified advertising business.
Meta brought the matter before the EU’s top court after contesting earlier rulings that supported the Commission’s approach. The company argued that the data requests tied to its Facebook platform and its online marketplace operations went beyond what was necessary.
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In a statement, the court declared, “In his opinion, Advocate General Athanasios Rantos proposes that the Court of Justice dismiss both appeals and uphold the judgments of the General Court”, adding that Rantos declared in his non-binding opinion that the General Court “did not err in law in assessing the necessity of the information requested or in examining the safeguards for its provision.”
Per Reuters, the Advocate General’s opinion is not binding on the court. However, judges at the Court of Justice frequently follow such recommfinishations when delivering their final rulings. A decision in the cases is expected in the coming months.
The legal challenges, formally known as C-496/23 P Meta Platforms Ireland v Commission (Facebook Marketplace) and C-497/23 P Meta Platforms Ireland v Commission (Facebook Data), relate to the Commission’s ongoing scrutiny of Meta’s business practices under EU competition rules, according to Reuters.
The outcome could clarify the scope of the European Commission’s authority to demand internal data from major technology companies as part of antitrust investigations within the bloc.
Source: Reuters
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