Meta and Amazon commit to fair competition practices following CMA investigation

Following an investigation into potential market dominance abuse, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has secured commitments from tech giants Meta and Amazon (NASDAQ:) to ensure fair competition on their platforms. This comes as a result of concerns that the companies were exploiting customer data for unfair competitive advantages.

The CMA announced that Meta, the leading digital display advertising supplier in the UK, has pledged to prevent potential misuse of advertising customer data. This commitment stems from a June 2021 investigation into allegations that Meta was unjustly utilizing specific ad data against online classified ad services. As part of its commitment, Meta will allow competitors of Facebook (NASDAQ:) Marketplace to opt out of their ad data being used by Meta for product enhancement. Furthermore, Meta has also committed to limit the use of ad data in product development to avoid exploiting customer data against advertisers.

In addition to these commitments, Meta has pledged to limit its use of ad data beyond Facebook Marketplace in product development, including digital display advertising and advertiser-identifying tools. This is a significant step towards ensuring fair competition and preventing potential market distortions due to ad data abuse.

To ensure compliance with these commitments, a monitoring trustee will supervise Meta’s adherence. In line with European regulations, Meta will also introduce an ad-free subscription option for Facebook and Instagram users in Europe. This move is expected to provide users with more control over their online experience while reinforcing Meta’s commitment to user privacy.

The CMA had expressed concern that Meta was using ad data from businesses to enhance its products in competition with those businesses. In 2021, Meta earned between £4-5 billion from UK advertising with over 10 million advertisers, largely small and medium-sized businesses.

In addition to Meta, Amazon has also made commitments following an investigation into potential market dominance abuse in 2022. Amazon’s commitments aim to provide a level playing field for third-party sellers and optimal deals for UK customers, primarily through the ‘Buy Box’. The company is now prohibited from exploiting third-party seller data and must enable sellers to negotiate delivery rates with independent Prime providers. Compliance with these commitments will be monitored by an independent trustee.

These resolutions have been welcomed by CMA officials Sarah Cardell and Ann Pope who anticipate that they will shape future regulatory decisions once the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill is enacted. Both Amazon and Meta have expressed approval of these resolutions which are designed to level the playing field for over 100,000 small and medium-sized businesses against Amazon’s retail arm.

InvestingPro Insights

Based on real-time data from InvestingPro, Amazon’s net income is expected to grow this year, with 21 analysts revising their earnings upwards for the upcoming period. This could be a result of the company’s recent commitments to fair competition, which may lead to enhanced performance and profitability. However, it should be noted that Amazon is trading at a high earnings multiple, indicating that the stock may be overvalued. The company’s market capitalization is currently at 1430.0B USD, with a P/E ratio of 70.39. Over the past week, Amazon’s price total return was 8.09%, showing a significant return.

InvestingPro Tips suggest that Meta, on the other hand, has been aggressively buying back shares and its revenue growth has been accelerating, which could be a positive sign for investors. The company has also been yielding a high return on invested capital, suggesting efficient use of its resources. However, Meta is quickly burning through cash, which could be a concern for some investors. The company’s market capitalization is currently at 1260M USD, with a P/E ratio of 7.94.

For more detailed information and additional tips, consider subscribing to InvestingPro, which offers an extensive range of insights for both Amazon and Meta.

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