Headline Roundup • December 11th, 2020

Perspectives: Facebook Sued Over Potential Antitrust Violations

Privacy,Big Tech,Technology,Facebook,Trade,FTC,Corruption

Summary from the AllSides News Team

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and attorneys general from 46 states, Washington D.C. and Guam filed lawsuits against Facebook Wednesday. The suits accuse the social media giant of illegally suppressing competition to gain popularity among potential users. Facebook allegedly broke competition law by purchasing popular social media app Instagram in 2012 and messaging app WhatsApp in 2014; the suits seek to force the company to give up ownership of the apps. A Facebook spokesperson responded by pointing out that the FTC approved the acquisitions at the time. Some left-rated voices sided with the FTC and attorneys general, saying Facebook abused its power and that the government should have intervened sooner. Some right-rated voices argued that the lawsuits overlooked the benefits of Facebook's acquisitions for customers. Center-rated Wired analyzed Facebook employee emails in an attempt to add context to news of the lawsuits.

Featured Coverage of this Story

The Smoking Gun in the Facebook Antitrust Case

WIRED

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The Smoking Gun in the Facebook Antitrust Case

WIRED

Analysis

IMAGINE A POPULAR social network that takes privacy super seriously. By default, your posts are visible only to people in your real-life community. Not only does the company not use tracking cookies, but it promises it never will. It even announces that future changes to the privacy policy will be put to a vote by users before implementation.

It’s hard to imagine now, but such a social network once existed. It was called Facebook. The company’s journey from privacy-focused startup to mass surveillance platform is at the heart of the...

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Facebook Acquisitions Benefitted Its Employees, Sellers, and Consumers. Where Is the Harm?

National Review (News)

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National Review (News)

Opinion

The claim by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and 48 state attorneys general that Facebook’s acquisition of Instagram and WhatsApp qualifies as anticompetitive behavior foolishly focuses on the motivations of the world’s largest social-media firm and ignores what those acquisitions have meant for consumers.

In the filings, the FTC and the states allege that Facebook snatched up the picture-sharing and messaging apps to prevent them from becoming a competitive threat. Perhaps it did. Maybe Facebook was indeed worried about being displaced as the market leader. But what does its motivation...

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When it Comes to Facebook, the Need for Action Has Been Obvious for a Long Time

New York Times (Opinion)

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When it Comes to Facebook, the Need for Action Has Been Obvious for a Long Time

New York Times (Opinion)

Opinion

It’s about time, even if it’s been a very long 22 years.

It was 1998 when Microsoft finally landed in the cross hairs of the federal government, when the Justice Department and 20 state attorneys general alleged in an antitrust lawsuit that the software giant had abused its market power to crush competition. It was the last time the government took meaningful action against the unfettered rise of a tech behemoth.

The Big Tech companies that have sprouted up since the Microsoft case have been treated by government as if...

Open on New York Times (Opinion)

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