The Competition and Markets Authority launched an investigation on October 30 under Chapter II of the Competition Act 1998 into suspected breaches of competition law by Meta Platforms, Inc., Facebook UK Limited and Facebook Ireland Limited. The case concerns Meta’s commercial terms for businesses using its platforms and services, and the CMA says it is concerned that requiring businesses to accept these terms may amount to the imposition of unfair trading conditions on businesses that rely on Meta’s services to reach customers and audiences.
The investigation will first assess whether Meta holds a dominant position in one or more relevant markets in the UK and, if so, whether its existing commercial terms, or revisions to them, abuse that position. The CMA plans rapid initial information gathering and engagement with Meta and third parties from October 2026 to January 2027, and it may close the case, or issue a statement of objections if it provisionally considers the law has been infringed. The authority states that no assumption should be made at this stage that competition law has been infringed.