Mergers: Commission fines Facebook €110 million for providing misleading information about WhatsApp takeover

On 18 May 2017 the European Commission fined Facebook €110 million for providing incorrect or misleading information during the Commission's 2014 investigation under the EU Merger Regulation of Facebook's acquisition of WhatsApp.

This was the first time that the Commission adopted a decision imposing fines on a company for provision of incorrect or misleading information since the entry into force of the 2004 Merger Regulation. Past Commission decisions in this regard were adopted under the 1989 Merger Regulation in accordance with different fine-setting rules.

• Primary Source

The Guardian, 18.05.17: Facebook fined £94m for 'misleading' EU over WhatsApp takeover https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/may/18/facebook-fined-eu-whatsapp-european-commission

Politico, 18.05.17: Facebook to Vestager: Let’s be friends http://www.politico.eu/article/facebooks-vestager-playbook-lets-be-friends/

BBC News, 18.05.17: EU fines Facebook over 'misleading' WhatsApp data claim http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39958630

Deutsche Welle, 18.05.17: EU fines Facebook millions over 'misleading' WhatsApp takeover http://p.dw.com/p/2d9Jy

ESO: Background information: Mergers: Commission alleges Facebook provided misleading information about WhatsApp takeover (December 2016) http://www.europeansources.info/record/mergers-commission-alleges-facebook-provided-misleading-information-about-whatsapp-takeover/

Euro|Topics: Debates, May 2017: EU competition watchdogs punish Facebook http://www.eurotopics.net/en/179541/eu-competition-watchdogs-punish-facebook

ESO: Background information: Mergers: Commission approves acquisition of WhatsApp by Facebook (October 2014) http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-mergers-commission-approves-acquisition-of-whatsapp-by-facebook/

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