European Union has fined Meta nearly €800 million for violating antitrust laws by automatically granting Facebook users access to its classified ads service, Facebook Marketplace.

The European Commission accused Meta of abusing its dominant position by imposing unfair trading conditions on rival classified ad providers who advertise on its platforms.

“This is illegal under EU antitrust rules. Meta must now stop this behaviour,” said Margrethe Vestager, the EU’s competition commissioner, in a statement.

Meta announced plans to appeal the decision, arguing it misrepresents the competitive environment in Europe. “Facebook users can choose whether or not to engage with Marketplace, and many don’t.

“The reality is that people use Facebook Marketplace because they want to, not because they have to,” Meta said.

This penalty ranks among the 10 largest antitrust fines ever imposed by the EU and follows a series of actions against Big Tech companies.

The Commission emphasized that Facebook Marketplace’s integration with Facebook gives it a significant advantage over competitors, stating that all Facebook users automatically access and are exposed to the service regardless of their preference.

The Commission also accused Meta of imposing unfair conditions on competitors in the classified ads sector. It alleged Meta leveraged ad-related data from other advertisers for the exclusive benefit of Facebook Marketplace, a claim Meta denies.

Meta said it has “built systems and controls” to prevent such practices, calling the Commission’s actions against its free service “disappointing.”

The fine of €797.72 million reflects what the Commission described as the “duration and gravity” of the violations. Meta’s revenue last year was approximately $135 billion.

This decision is part of the EU’s broader regulatory push against Big Tech, backed by new legislation like the Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act.

Earlier this year, the EU accused Meta of breaching digital rules with a “pay or consent” system requiring users to either pay to avoid data collection or agree to share their data.

In response to regulatory pressure, Meta recently introduced less targeted ads for free users in the EU and lowered subscription rates for ad-free services.

MTN Nigeria CEO, Karl Toriola, at the TeXcellence 2024 conference, emphasized the telecommunications sector’s crucial role in advancing Nigeria’s digital economy.

Highlighting the evolution from a traditional telecom company to a full-fledged technology powerhouse, Toriola outlined MTN’s journey and the broader industry’s transformative potential.

Reflecting on MTN’s significant footprint, Toriola highlighted how telecoms have been the backbone of the nation’s digital transformation. “The telecommunication sector has been a critical driver of economic growth in this country, accounting for 14% of the nation’s GDP.

“MTN on its own contributes 7% to Nigeria’s GDP and its evolution into a Techco could propel the nation to unprecedented economic heights”.

From the groundbreaking days of GSM licensing in 2001 to the launch of 5G in 2022, MTN has consistently been at the forefront of technological advancement.

Toriola underscored the shift in revenue dynamics, with data now surpassing voice services as the primary income source despite slimmer margins.

He acknowledged the challenges posed by increased competition and external factors, including economic pressures and currency devaluation.

Yet, he stressed that these hurdles are driving the need for innovation in areas like financial inclusion, IoT, AI, and the development of digital ecosystems.

The MTN CEO shared insights into the company’s ambitious projects, such as constructing the largest data center in West Africa and expanding 5G services to deliver high-speed, low-latency connectivity.

He also emphasized the importance of affordability in expanding digital access, pointing out that 71% of Nigerians face challenges maintaining regular internet connectivity due to cost.

Wrapping up, Toriola called for collaboration among industry stakeholders, international partners, and the government to harness Nigeria’s potential and nurture a culture of curiosity and innovation.

“Our biggest asset is our people—their drive and ingenuity. By fostering this and investing in our digital infrastructure, we can achieve the vision of a trillion-dollar economy,” he concluded.

Karl Toriola’s keynote address at TeXcellence 2024 revealed that with determined leadership and unified efforts, Nigeria’s telecom and tech sectors are poised to lead the continent in digital transformation.

MTN, Airtel, Glo and 9Mobile, four major Nigerian telecommunications companies, have a combined 267 tariff plans, according to Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

The proliferation of tariff plans by mobile networks has been giving subscribers headaches, keeping them in dilemma on which to choose to get value for their money.

According to the NCC, the revelation of various tariff plans came through its research on the complaints of subscribers concerning data depletion.

Explaining the outcome of the research at a 2-Day Upskilling On Trends In Telecom Industry For Media Stakeholders held in Lagos,  Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, director, Public Affairs, Nigerian Communication Commission, said majority of the telecoms subscribers did not know the actual tariffs charged by their network providers.

Analysing the various tariff plans by the telcos, Adinde said MTN as the largest operator, currently had 159 tariff plans, with 14 for voice and 145 for data. Airtel has 27 for voice and 41 for data services.

Globacom has six for voice and 32 for data, while 9mobile has seven different tariff plans for voice and 97 for data. According to him, the situation has made it difficult for many subscribers to actually select the beat tariff plan for them since there is proliferation of such plans on the networks of their providers, noting that most times, the difference between two tariffs is not discernable by the subscribers.

He said this had been affecting the quality of experience (QoE) advocating by the Agency, and so creating uncertainty for the consumers.

Meanwhile, he said the Commission was going to streamline the various tariff plans to just seven for better understanding of the consumers and to enhance the quality of experience.

“The whole idea is to ensure that consumers have a good experience, because too many tariff plans affect the quality of service – all benefits or allowances, voice, SMS and data must be seated in clear, useful and user friendly formats. “We don’t get this kind of transparency many of us are passionate about.