While Meta said it disagrees with the European Commission’s decision and will continue to appeal, the U.S. tech giant is launching the pilot program as part of its effort to appease European Union authorities.
“We are working quickly and constructively to build a solution which addresses the points raised,” Meta said in a statement. “Today, we will launch a test in Germany, France, and the U.S. that will enable buyers to browse listings from eBay directly on Facebook Marketplace while completing their transaction on eBay. This could benefit people using both platforms.”
Meta said the win-win arrangement will allow eBay sellers to gain exposure to Facebook’s audience while people using Marketplace will have access to a broader range of listings from the eBay community.
The partnership could give eBay’s marketplace business a much-needed lift, as it continues to face stiff competition from e-commerce giants Amazon, Walmart, and Facebook’s Marketplace platform, which enables users to buy and sell items. The implications for investors are significant as eBay could see a surge in sales volume and seller engagement.
The announcement also marks a strategic shift for Meta, which is seeking to demonstrate compliance with European antitrust regulations while finding innovative ways to monetize its platforms. By integrating eBay listings into Facebook Marketplace, Meta not only addresses European Commission concerns about anticompetitive behavior but also positions itself as a facilitator of broader e-commerce activity.
Investor response to the announcement was swift. Shares of eBay jumped by 12 percent in early trading on Wednesday, before pulling back slightly. At around 12:20 p.m. EST, eBay was trading at $69.70 per share, up 9.70 percent on the day.
In place of the fact-checking program, Meta will be rolling out a community notes system, similar to the one used by the Elon Musk-owned social media platform X, Zuckerberg said.
