The Trump administration and 48 states announced antitrust lawsuits against Facebook, ordering the social media platform to divest its Instagram and WhatsApp messaging services.
The suits, announced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and New York Attorney General Letitia James, aim to “block this predatory acquisition of companies” and “restore confidence to the market,” according to James.
Facebook “used its monopoly power to crush smaller rivals and snuff out competition, all at the expense of everyday users,” she noted.
The FTC is keen on securing the separation of the two companies from Facebook, noting the social media giant has carried out a “systematic strategy” to eliminate its competition, including the purchase of smaller rivals like Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014.
At the time of publishing, Facebook did not have a comment on the matter.
