LONDON (Bywire News) - Meta has drawn comparisons between EU antitrust regulators and a fishing trawler, as it appeals against investigations into Meta’s data and online marketplace.
Meta says they have handed over millions of documents to the European Commission as part of an investigation launched in 2019. Their inquiry was initially launched to examine Meta’s Facebook Marketplace, social networking and online classified ads.
Despite continuing to comply, Meta has raised their concerns over how relevant the requested documents are and the reasoning provided by the EU watchdog.
The company has been on the receiving end of heavy scrutiny due to the use of 2,500 search phrases which contained "big question", "for free" and "not good for us" in an attempt to decipher the documents provided.
Should they fail to comply with the regulator’s demands, Meta faces the prospect of an $8.6 million penalty. However, Meta has been increasingly vocal in its criticism of the investigations.
Following ongoing discontent with the EU’s demands, Meta took their grievances to the second highest court in the EU, the General Court.
When speaking to the panel of judges, Daniel Jowell acting for Meta, said:
"One needs to put together the vague nature of what is under investigation with these extraordinarily wide-ranging and general search terms. Once one does that, it is, with respect, obvious what is going on here. This is a classic fishing expedition,"
"Indeed, we would go further. The Commission is operating like a fishing super trawler, hoovering up the whole sea bed – with the intention that it will later see what species of rare fish it finds within its vast nets."
The court is expected to make its ruling in the coming months.
(Writing by Samba Jallow, editing by Tom Cropper and Klaudia Fior)