Antitrust lawsuits against Facebook dismissed

BREAKING — A federal court dismissed antitrust lawsuits against Facebook Monday, which could have resulted in breaking up the social media giant.

The U.S District Court for the District of Columbia filing stated the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) failed to present solid evidence of Facebook’s dominant market power, which included a “speculative and conclusory” assertion that Facebook’s dominant share of the social networking market is in excess of 60%. In its lawsuit filed against Facebook in December, the FTC alleged Facebook violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act — an antitrust law that prohibits a person from monopolizing trade among several U.S. states.

The court also dismissed a lawsuit from 46 state attorneys general case against Facebook, which was aimed at the company’s 2012 acquisition of Instagram and 2014 acquisition of WhatsApp, alleging Facebook violated Section 7 of the Clayton Act that prohibits acquisitions reducing competition. The court filing said the lawsuit comes too late after the acquisitions occurred.

“Such long-past violations cannot furnish a basis for the injunctive relief the plaintiffs seek here,” the filing stated.

The court dismissed the FTC’s complaint, meaning the FTC could file an amended case, while the state attorneys general case has been completely dismissed.  

Reporting in progress — full story to follow.

Makenzie Holland is a news writer covering big tech and federal regulation. Prior to joining TechTarget, she was a general reporter for the Wilmington StarNews and a crime and education reporter at the Wabash Plain Dealer.