Enlarge / Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp are the three largest parts of Facebook’s extremely sprawling empire… for now. (credit: Rafael Henrique | SOPA Images | LightRocket | Getty Images)
The Federal Trade Commission and a coalition of 47 states attorneys general today filed a pair of long-awaited antitrust suits against Facebook, alleging that the company abused its power in the marketplace to neutralize competitors through acquisitions and prevent anyone else from presenting a more privacy-friendly alternative to consumers.
“By using its vast troves of data and money, Facebook has quashed or hindered what the company perceived as potential threats,” New York Attorney General Letitia James, who led the states’ effort, said. “In an effort to maintain its market dominance, Facebook has employed a strategy to impede competing services.”
When James initially announced the probe in September 2019, her office was joined by the attorneys general of eight other states; by October of last year, another 38 had signed on, bringing the total to 47 states and territories participating in the investigation.
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Source: Ars Technica – FTC, 47 states file suits to break up Instagram and WhatsApp from Facebook