Facebook emails threaten to worsen EU regulatory scrutiny

A campaigner from a political pressure group protests as founder and CEO of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg failed to attend a meeting on fake news held by Parliament's Digital, Culture Media and Sport committee in London November 27, 2018. REUTERS/Toby Melville

Facebook Inc emails showing the company threatened to cut off user data access to potential rivals added fuel to a regulatory bonfire in the European Union. 

Their publication preceded a vote by EU lawmakers expected Dec 6 on draft rules for how online platforms should treat partners, and Germany’s conclusion of an antitrust probe, due in the new year, which may call on Facebook to change privacy terms. EU privacy regulators, newly armed with the power to fine for data breaches, may be hungry for a scalp as well.