The President of UOKiK initiated an investigation following changes made by Meta on Facebook, affecting the display of Polish publishers' content. The alteration from graphic previews to single links could potentially reduce user engagement with journalistic content.

The investigation aims to assess whether Meta's practices could constitute an abuse of its market position, impacting publishers' readership and article views negatively. UOKiK clarified that the current procedure is exploratory and not targeted at specific businesses.

Under competition law, dominant market players like Meta are prohibited from leveraging their position to the detriment of others. The ongoing actions will determine if Meta's practices breach competition laws, potentially leading to antitrust proceedings and fines of up to 10% of turnover.

The changes in displaying content on Facebook might be linked to the implementation of the EU directive on copyright laws in Poland. The directive allows publishers to negotiate compensation for their content shared on digital platforms, with provisions for mediation in case of disputes between publishers and digital platforms.

Similar disputes between Meta and press publishers have occurred in other countries like Canada and Italy, with varying outcomes. The article also encourages individuals to report any competition-restricting practices to UOKiK through an anonymous reporting system.