Facebook has whined about pending antitrust litigation for some time, and now the social media platform has decided to hit back.
Facebook filed motions to dismiss two pending antitrust lawsuits against the company and called the claims “misguided.”
The Federal Trade Commission, along with a coalition of 48 states and territories, had both filed separate antitrust lawsuits against Facebook. Both the FTC’s and the States’ complaints focused primarily on Facebook’s acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp.
The FTC’s complaint claimed: “Facebook has maintained its monopoly position by buying up companies that present competitive threats and by imposing restrictive policies that unjustifiably hinder actual or potential rivals that Facebook does not or cannot acquire.”
The complaint filed by the 48 states and territories argued that Facebook “illegally maintains that monopoly power by deploying a buy-or-bury strategy that thwarts competition and harms both users and advertisers.”
Facebook, however, has claimed that “The FTC’s one-count monopolization case against Facebook utterly ignores the reality of the dynamic, intensely competitive high-tech industry in which Facebook operates.” The Big Tech company argued that the FTC “Has Not Alleged A Plausible Relevant Market,” has not “Plausibly Alleged Monopoly Power,” “Has Not Plausibly Alleged Unlawful Exclusionary Conduct” and that “The FTC Lacks Statutory Authority To Maintain This Suit.”
Facebook, in its motion to dismiss the states’ case, claimed, in part, that “the States lack standing to bring this case.” Facebook further argued that “the States’ claims based on Facebook’s acquisitions are barred by the doctrine of laches, or unfair delay,” which the platform suggested meant the states “waited far too long to act.”
Facebook pretended that its practices do not harm consumers. However, the federal, state and territorial governments that have filed suit against the platform clearly disagree.
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