Government Lawsuit Seeks to Break Up Facebook
- In what’s being called a “groundbreaking” lawsuit, a coalition involving the federal government and dozens of states are seeking to break up Facebook.
- The antitrust suit, filed Wednesday, accuses the social media giant of abusing its power and engaging in anticompetitive behavior. The suit says Facebook‘s various acquisitions — such as its 2012 purchase of Instagram and its 2014 takeover of WhatsApp — have allowed it to monopolize the Internet.
- “Personal social networking is central to the lives of millions of Americans,” says Ian Conner, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition. “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.”
- Do you agree with the plaintiffs’ claims? Or is the government punishing Facebook for being successful?
