The Federal Trade Commission and 48 states and territories filed two major antitrust lawsuits against Facebook yesterday. The lawsuits allege that Facebook illegally engaged in monopolistic behavior by acquiring competitors (including WhatsApp and Instagram) and imposing anticompetitive conditions on third-party software developers that use its platforms. The suits propose a wide range of remedies, including the divestiture of assets. Facebook released a statement yesterday criticizing the lawsuits and denying the allegations.
More context: The lawsuits mark the latest antitrust action brought against a large technology company this year, with the DOJ filing antitrust charges against Google in October.
Extra: Read the announcement from the FTC and Facebook’s response.
The New Paper
This story is from the December 10, 2020 edition of The New Paper – a clear, concise daily briefing that makes fact-first news easy to consume. Try it today.
