Facebook, the Meta-owned company, is in yet another trouble as several US states asked the appeals court on Monday to reinstate antitrust lawsuits against the social media platform. An argument by a group of US states, led by New York, underscored the harm caused by Facebook’s actions. Facebook was initially sued in 2020 when the US Federal Trade Commission also sued the company. The FTC is still fighting the company and is asking the court to order Facebook to sell Instagram and WhatsApp.
Meta’s Facebook, which is already facing an antitrust lawsuit by the US FTC, may soon face another legal challenge as a large group of US states, led by New York, has requested a three-judge panel at the US Court of Appeals. for the District of Columbia to reinstate a lawsuit filed against the company in 2020. States excluded are Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and South Dakota.
Both the FTC and states are seeking an order for Facebook to sell Instagram and WhatsApp. The social media company acquired Instagram in 2012 for a $1 billion (roughly Rs. 8,000 crore) deal, while WhatsApp was bought for $19 billion (roughly Rs. 1,51,400 crore) in 2014.
According to Reuters Report, Facebook attorney Aaron Panner argued that the company’s policies regarding third-party apps are well publicized. Judge James Bosberg previously dismissed the states’ lawsuit in June 2021.
“We believe the district court’s decision to dismiss the states’ complaint was correct and there is no reason to overturn that decision,” Meta spokesman Christopher Sgro said, according to Bloomberg. Report,
