Instagram and Facebook parted ways, and Meta made strong decisions in Europe

Before the new legislation known as the Digital Markets Act comes into effect, Meta will allow residents of the European Union, European Economic Area and Switzerland to separate their Instagram and Facebook accounts, as well as the company's other services.

Goal These changes will be implemented in these areas and notifications will be sent out in the coming weeks Users to inform them of such modifications.

These settings will give the possibility of this European users Explore and use Meta platforms without having to link your personal data between them.

For example, It will be possible to use Facebook Messenger independently without needing an account on the said social network Those who previously linked their Facebook and Instagram accounts will have the option to unlink them.

Consumers will have the opportunity to use Facebook Marketplace and Facebook Gaming without having to share data from their main Facebook accounts. However, Meta noted that this decision would entail limitations in the functionality of both services.

For example, when interacting on the Marketplace without using Facebook account information, buyers will need to communicate with sellers via email instead of using Facebook Messenger.

As for Facebook Gaming, those who choose to unlink their information from Facebook will only be able to access games designed for individual play.

According to the European Union, The Digital Markets Act aims to prevent platforms with a dominant role in the digital market, known as “access gatekeepers,” from creating unfavorable conditions for both businesses and end consumers.thus ensuring the opening of vital digital services.

The regulations will require these guardians to implement a series of amendments. Among them, ensuring that end users are able to easily remove pre-installed applications and offering alternatives to the default automatic installation of applications.

In addition, they will have to allow business users to access data on ad performance and ad cost information.

They will also be required to enable developers to use alternative payment systems in their apps. and facilitating interoperability in messaging services.

On September 6, 2023, The Commission classified the following companies as gatekeepers: Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Meta, and Microsoft..

Companies identified as “gatekeepers” must take on the additional responsibility of ensuring that their practices promote an Internet environment that is fair and open to innovation for both businesses and other consumers.

This involves proactively adhering to a series of behaviors identified in the Digital Markets Act that promote more competitive markets and, at the same time, avoiding actions that the law considers unfair.

Platforms classified as “access gatekeepers” will have a six-month period, until March 2024, to fully comply with the requirements of the Digital Markets Act. He must submit a report specifying the measures taken to achieve said compliance. The Commission will be responsible for monitoring the effective fulfillment of all these obligations.

If any of these platforms does not comply with the rules stipulated in the aforementioned law, the Commission can impose economic sanctions of up to 10% of the company's total global turnover.In the event of a repeated violation, the fine may increase to 20%.

Likewise, in the event of repeated violations, the Authority also has the power to apply additional corrective measures, such as forcing the sale of part or all of the company, or prohibiting the acquisition of additional services associated with continued non-compliance.