FTC, 48 Attorneys General Sue Facebook for Antitrust Violations – By Claire Hansen (US News) / Dec 9 2020
The lawsuits focus in particular on Facebook’s acquisition of Instagram and WhatsApp.
THE FEDERAL TRADE Commission and a coalition of 48 attorneys general sued Facebook Wednesday, in a pair of twin antitrust lawsuits alleging that the networking giant bought up rivals to illegally eliminate competition and maintain a monopoly.
The legal challenges come after a lengthy and cooperative investigation by state and federal officials, highlighting the growing and bipartisan scrutiny of Big Tech.
The lawsuits in particular zero in on Facebook’s acquisition of Instagram, the social photo-sharing platform, in 2012, and WhatsApp, a messaging service, in 2014. Federal prosecutors are calling for Facebook to divest from the two platforms, and both states and the FTC are seeking restrictions on Facebook’s future business deals.
The parallel lawsuits will undoubtedly set off a lengthy legal battle. The FTC approved Facebook’s acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp when they occurred.
