France’s Antitrust Watchdog Orders Meta to Change Access Rules for Ad Verification Partners

France’s competition authority has given Facebook’s Meta two months to modify its access rules for ad verification partners. The watchdog has accused the social media giant of taking advantage of its dominant market position in online advertising.

New Access Criteria

The competition authority has ordered Meta to publish new access criteria for partners seeking to use its analytical tools to assess whether online ad campaigns have been seen by users and are not displayed in a way that could damage brand reputation. The new criteria must be transparent, objective, non-discriminatory, and proportionate.

Response from Meta

Meta is reviewing the decision and considering its options. A spokesperson for the company said that they are studying the interim decision.

Ad Verification Companies

Ad verification companies offer various services, including measuring how many views online ads receive, detecting fraudulent online traffic, and ensuring client ads do not appear on websites that could harm their brand, such as pornographic sites.

The Case

The case was brought by Adloox, an independent French ad verification company. They sought access to Meta’s data for these services from 2016 to 2022 but were denied access due to Meta’s invite-only approach. The French body said that Meta’s approach allowed access to its data only to the biggest operators and might be considered discriminatory in the fields of the firm’s “viewability” and “brand safety” offerings. The competition authority found the barrier to entry created by Meta constituted an “immediate and grave” harm to Adloox specifically, as well as to the independent ad verification sector as a whole.

In conclusion, Facebook’s Meta has been given two months to change its access rules for ad verification partners. This is because the company was taking unfair advantage of its dominant position in online advertising. The new criteria must be transparent, objective, non-discriminatory, and proportionate. Ad verification companies offer various services, and Meta’s invite-only approach allowed access to its data only to the biggest operators. The competition authority found that the barrier to entry created by Meta constituted an “immediate and grave” harm to Adloox specifically, as well as to the independent ad verification sector as a whole.