Meta has announced a new programme allowing rival classified ad providers to list their adverts on Facebook Marketplace, following a E797 million EU antitrust fine for unfair competition.

The European Commission ruled in November that Meta had given its own service an unfair advantage by tying Marketplace to Facebook and imposing restrictive trading conditions on competitors.

The company has challenged the fine in court but says the new initiative, called the Facebook Marketplace Partner Program, is a response to EU competition concerns.

The programme was tested last month in Germany, France, and the United States in partnership with eBay. Under the scheme, third-party online classified ad services can display their listings on Facebook Marketplace alongside user-generated listings.

Meta maintains that the EU's decision unfairly targets US companies, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg previously describing EU actions as akin to a "tariff regime."

The European Commission is now reviewing whether Meta has fully complied with the ruling. If found lacking, the company could face further scrutiny and potential penalties. The move marks a significant shift in how Marketplace operates, potentially reshaping competition in the online classified ads sector.