JUNK STATE, FEDERAL ANTITRUST SUITS AGAINST U.S., FACEBOOK ASKS COURT

Facebook has asked a court to dismiss state and federal antitrust lawsuits that accuse it of abusing its market power in social networking to crush smaller competitors, Barbara Ortutay reported for Associated Press (AP).

The social media giant said Wednesday (Thursday, March 11, 2021, in Manila) that the complaints “do not credibly claim” that its conduct harmed either consumers or market competition.

The antitrust suits, filed in December by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and 48 states, are seeking remedies that could include a forced spinoff of the social network’s popular Instagram and WhatsApp services.

"As we said when the FTC and the state attorneys general announced these lawsuits, people around the world use our products not because they have to, but because we make their lives better,” Facebook said in a statement.

The FTC suit asserts that Facebook has engaged in a “systematic strategy” to eliminate its competition, including by purchasing smaller up-and-coming rivals like Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014.

New York Attorney General Letitia James, in announcing the state's complaint, echoed this sentiment, saying that Facebook “used its monopoly power to crush smaller rivals and snuff out competition, all at the expense of everyday users.” FTC declined to comment.

In an emailed statement, James said Facebook is “wrong on the law and wrong on our complaint.”

She added: “We are confident in our case, which is why almost every state in this nation has joined our bipartisan lawsuit to end Facebook’s illegal conduct.”

Big Tech companies are facing growing opposition from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle on the power they have amassed over the past decade.

There’s little likelihood the pressure will ease up. President Joe Biden has said that a breakup of tech giants should be seriously considered.

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