Facebook Sued by FTC and
48 State Attorneys General
in Twin Lawsuits .
On Wednesday, a coalition of 48 state attorneys general
came forward to launch a lawsuit against Facebook.
Led by New York Attorney General Letitia James,
the group alleges that Facebook has been stifling
competition to protect its “monopoly power.” .
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, Letitia James, via ABC News.
James also said Facebook has used its
suppression of competition to “take advantage of users”
and “make millions” by selling personal data.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
also launched their own lawsuit against
Facebook on Wednesday. .
The separate lawsuit alleges that Facebook
has maintained its “monopoly” through the illegal
use of anticompetitive practices. .
Our aim is to roll back Facebook’s anticompetitive
conduct and restore competition so that innovation
and free competition can thrive, Ian Conner, director of FTC’s Bureau of Competition, via ABC News.
The FTC’s lawsuit names Facebook’s acquisition
of Instagram and WhatsApp as examples of unfairly
wielding its monopoly power. .
Facebook Vice President and General Counsel Jennifer Newstead
has since responded, saying antitrust laws don’t
exist to “punish successful businesses.” .
Instagram and WhatsApp became the
incredible products they are today
because Facebook invested billions of dollars,
and years of innovation and expertise, Jennifer Newstead, via ABC News.
She also accused the government
of wanting a “do-over,” as they initially
cleared the acquisitions years ago.