Meta Faces Legal Blow as EU Court Adviser Backs Regulators in Data Dispute

Meta has suffered a setback in its legal battle with European Union regulators after an adviser to the bloc’s highest court supported the European Commission’s right to demand extensive information during antitrust investigations.

Advocate General Athanasios Rantos delivered the opinion at the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg. Although non binding, such opinions are often followed by judges when they issue their final rulings in the months ahead.

The dispute centres on two investigations into Meta’s business practices, including the integration of Facebook Marketplace with its main social network platform. EU competition authorities previously concluded that Meta breached antitrust rules by tying its online classified ads service to Facebook and by imposing unfair conditions on rival providers.

Meta had challenged the scope of information requests made by the European Commission, arguing that regulators were seeking disproportionate and intrusive data. The company claimed that some requests included highly sensitive personal documents and information unrelated to the core competition issues under review.

In his opinion, the Advocate General stated that the Commission has broad investigative powers to request information necessary to carry out its duties under EU competition law. He added that the documents in question did not amount to a disproportionate interference with privacy and were subject to strict safeguards and limitations.

The legal challenge reflects a wider trend of large technology companies contesting the authority and methods of EU regulators. In recent years, Brussels has intensified scrutiny of major digital platforms, using competition law and new digital market rules to address concerns over market dominance and data practices.

While Meta pursued its appeal, the Commission concluded one of the underlying investigations in 2024, imposing a fine of 797.7 million euros for its Facebook Marketplace practices. The ruling found that tying Marketplace to Facebook gave Meta an unfair advantage and restricted competition in the online classified ads market.

The broader case highlights ongoing tensions between global technology firms and European regulators over data access, privacy protections and competition policy. The EU has positioned itself as one of the world’s most assertive jurisdictions when it comes to regulating large digital platforms, often setting precedents that influence other regions.

For Meta, the opinion increases the likelihood that the court will uphold the Commission’s investigative approach, reinforcing the regulator’s authority in future probes. A final judgment from the court is expected later this year.

As regulatory pressure continues to build across Europe and beyond, the outcome of this case could shape how technology companies respond to information requests and how far competition authorities can go in demanding internal data during complex investigations.