Federal court dismisses FTC antitrust lawsuit against Facebook

A federal court dismissed the Federal Trade Commission's antitrust lawsuit against Facebook, handing the social media giant a victory as it battles claims of unfair monopolistic behavior.

The decision Monday marks a setback for the trade commission and could lead to more aggressive calls for U.S. antitrust law to be updated by Congress, just as related bipartisan bills have been introduced by the House Judiciary Committee.

A Washington, D.C., federal court said the agency was too vague in its complaint and didn't do enough to support its assertion that Facebook had abused its power in the social media market.

The federal judge will give the trade commission another chance to take on Facebook, if it files an amended complaint.