EU bolsters probe into Facebook buyout of Kustomer

Brussels: The EU on Monday deepened its probe into Facebook’s acquisition of Kustomer over concerns the social network giant could restrict the US start-ups’ rivals’ use of its WhatsApp and Instagram platforms.

A preliminary investigation launched in May initially focused on whether Facebook could misuse consumer data from Kustomer to give it an unfair advantage in personalised advertising.

But the European Commission said in a statement that probe has found another area of concern: “That Facebook may have the ability, as well as a potential economic incentive, to engage in foreclosure strategies vis-a-vis Kustomer’s rivals, such as preventing these companies from using Facebook’s messaging channels or degrading access to these channels.”