Meta: Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp owner to pay $550m fine for anti-competition practices, infractions

*Madrid’s Commercial Court orders Meta Platforms Incorporated, owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, to pay $552 million to Spanish digital media publishers and news agencies for unfair competition practices, and infringing on European Union data protection regulation

Gbenga Kayode | ConsumerConnect

A Spanish Commercial Court Thursday, November 20, 2025, ordered Meta Platforms Incorporated, the apparent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, to pay 479 million Euros ($552 million) to Spanish digital media digital media publishers and news agencies for unfair competition practices, and infringing European Union (EU) data protection regulation.

ConsumerConnect reports Meta, a United States (US) global technology giant, however, would appeal the court ruling as the issue is reportedly the latest in a series of fines Meta has faced in Europe in recent years.

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Madrid’s court disclosed the compensation, which the tech giant would pay out to 87 digital media outlets, was linked to the company’s use of consumers’ personal data for behavioural advertising on Facebook and Instagram.

The court also said the US multinational tech company headquartered in California,  had obtained a “significant competitive advantage” in Spain’s online advertising market by unlawfully processing consumers’ data for profit.

Responding to the court ruling, Meta, however, said it disagreed with the ruling and would lodge an appeal.

A Meta spokesperson, in a statement to Reuters, retorted: “This is a baseless claim that lacks any evidence of alleged harm and wilfully ignores how the online advertising industry works.

“Meta complies with all applicable laws and has provided clear choices, transparent information, and given users a range of tools to control their experience on our services.”

The court said Meta had violated the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), therefore, also breaching Spain’s antitrust law.

Report further indicated the complaint brought by the Spanish outlets focused on Meta’s change of legal basis for processing personal data when the GDPR took effect from May 2018.

The tech company, nonetheless, shifted from user consent to “necessity for the performance of a contract” to justify behavioural advertising.

But the industry regulators later deemed that explanation cum basis inadequate.

It is recalled that Meta, in August 2023, reverted to consent as its legal basis.

The Spanish Commercial Court Judge estimated that in those five years, Meta earned at least 5.3 billion Euros in profits from advertising and treated the entire amount as obtained in breach of the GDPR.

A similar claim is currently under review in France.

The European Commission (EU), in 2024, also fined Meta nearly 800 million Euros for tying its online classified adverts service Facebook Marketplace to its social network Facebook, and for imposing unfair trading conditions on other online classified advrerts service providers, report noted.

Spain’s left-wing government has also targeted Meta’s alleged privacy violations, with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, this Wednesday, saying that a Lower House Committee would investigate Meta for purportedly using a hidden mechanism to track the Web activity of Android device consumers.

Meanwhile, Meta has said it will work with Spanish officials on the issue raised with the company.

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