US Antitrust Enforcers Sue Facebook to Divest Instagram and Whatsapp

US federal and state antitrust enforcers filed a suit against Facebook claiming abuse of its dominant position in the tech market by acquiring Instagram and Whatsapp.

Ian Conner, director of the Federal Trade Commision’s (FTC) Bureau of Competition, said “Facebook’s actions to entrench and maintain its monopoly deny consumers the benefits of competition,”

“Our aim is to roll back Facebook’s anticompetitive conduct and restore competition so that innovation and free competition can thrive.” Conner added.

48 US states and territories filed a separate lawsuit, led by New York state Attorney General Letitia James.

James said “For nearly a decade, Facebook has used its dominance and monopoly power to crush smaller rivals and snuff out competition, all at the expense of everyday users,”

“Facebook used its power to suppress competition so it could take advantage of users and make billions by converting personal data into a cash cow.” she added.

Facebook said it would offer a detailed response and added “Years after the FTC cleared our acquisitions, the government now wants a do-over with no regard for the impact that precedent would have on the broader business community or the people who choose our products every day.”

Source: ABS-CBN