40 U.S. States Filing Antitrust Lawsuit Against Facebook, Report Shows
Most American states turn on social media giant for possible antitrust violations
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A group of at least 40 states, led by New York, is filing an unprecedented antitrust lawsuit against Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook as early as next week, a recent report has revealed.
Most of America’s states have formed a coalition that plans to file the lawsuit against the social media giant within days.
The alliance has been investigating Facebook for possible antitrust violations.
The Big Tech behemoth could also face a similar suit by the Federal Trade Commission.
While it is unclear what the states plan to complain about, Facebook has been under scrutiny for swallowing up start-up tech firms that could rival its own business.
Facebook's most notable acquisitions of smaller rivals are Instagram and Whatsapp.
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A recent report from CNBC states that sources believe that a lawsuit could be filed against social media giant Facebook as early as next week.
The coalition has been investigating Facebook for possible antitrust violations, according to four sources.
The lawsuit would be the second major case taken against a major tech firm this year following the Justice Department’s lawsuit against Google in October, according to Breitbart.
Over 40 states reportedly plan to sign on to the Facebook lawsuit one source said, but would not provide the list of states.
Breitbart News reported earlier this week that authorities were preparing as many as four more cases targeting Google or Facebook by the end of January 2021.
The lawsuits reportedly focus on whether the tech giant abused their power in the internet economy, focusing on Google’s position in the search and advertising industry and Facebook’s dominance in the social media market.
Both companies have denied using their power in an anti-competitive manner, saying that they operate in extremely competitive markets and that their services benefit consumers.
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Despite ongoing antitrust investigations and lawsuits, Facebook and Google are both on a spending spree to buy rivals and tech startups.
Facebook has faced criticism from both Republicans and Democrats in Congress, as well as President Trump and Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden.
Democrats allege that the social media giant has been too free in the speech it allows on its platform, while many Republicans point out the social media site has often suppressed conservative voices.
Websites that are frequently critical of Democrats have their reach severely limited on Facebook, Neon Nettle included.
Facebook claims that it aims to support free speech while limiting “hate speech” and harmful content.
