As widely discussed in public, in early 2021, The Turkish Competition Board ordered an injunction and opened an investigation regarding the data-sharing requirement imposed on WhatsApp users. Following the oral defense meeting held in the previous days, it has been declared by the announcement published on the Turkish Competition Board’s website on 26 October 2022 that the investigation has been finalized and an administrative fine will be imposed.
It has been in the announcement that,
Facebook economic unit, consisting of Meta Platforms, Inc. (old name Facebook Inc.), Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (old name Facebook Ireland Limited) and WhatsApp LLC, has a dominant position in the markets for social network services for personal use, consumer communication services and online video advertising,
Restriction of competition and breach of Article 6 of Law No. 4054 by Facebook by making its rivals' activity difficult operating in the markets for social network services for personal use and online video advertising and creating entry barriers in the market through merging data it collected from Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp services, which are called fundamental services,
Imposition of 346.717.193,40 TRY administrative fine on the undertakings of Facebook economic unit to be jointly liable.
have been decided.