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Here we go: US antitrust regulators' lawsuit to break up Meta, Facebook's parent, can move ahead, judge rules, after the FTC's "more robust and detailed" amended complaint from last year: https://t.co/X45VIP5Yfu pic.twitter.com/iAnCR02J8u
— Brian Fung (@b_fung) January 11, 2022
Facebook's acquisition of Instagram and WhatsApp must be scrutinized. This company has shown time and again it would rather acquire competitors and stifle competition than compete fairly. (2/2)
— The Real Facebook Oversight Board (@FBoversight) January 11, 2022
“The FTC has done its homework this time around” https://t.co/hYypChcQ8e
— hussein kanji (@hkanji) January 12, 2022
Judge also rejects FB's call to recuse Khan: She "has undoubtedly expressed views about Facebook’s monopoly power, these views do not suggest the type of ‘axe to grind’ based on personal animosity or financial conflict of interest that has disqualified prosecutors in the past."
— Cat Zakrzewski (@Cat_Zakrzewski) January 11, 2022
I’m glad the @FTC's case against Facebook is allowed to move forward.
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) January 11, 2022
Facebook has bulldozed competition to dominate the market. We need to break up Big Tech and hold Facebook accountable for any violations of antitrust law. https://t.co/dV0Oo3TlXr
It’s too late for the FTC’s Facebook lawsuit, which won’t be settled for years, to really matter. But the agency has started to scrutinize Meta’s many VR acquisitions — and that, I think, could matter a lot https://t.co/5rKaaOpPhH pic.twitter.com/0wevJ8HMxb
— Casey Newton (@CaseyNewton) January 12, 2022
back to actual arguments of the case, the Court had already accepted the market definition and then now tips the hat to the use of three metrics as backup. Anyone who has actually run a digital biz knows why you must look at multiple metrics holistically. So does the Judge. /4 pic.twitter.com/m5tXjbHhgC
— Jason Kint (@jason_kint) January 11, 2022
I mean one more point here on consumers. The allegation is market power allowed FB to lower its service quality for consumers. Does anyone doubt this? Do we really believe Facebook wouldn't have better addressed its problems of the past few years if it had more competition? /7 pic.twitter.com/mhF9OBsiUx
— Jason Kint (@jason_kint) January 11, 2022
In terms of Facebook's argument that buying Instagram and WhatsApp wasn't anticompetitive and bad for consumers, the Court throws in the compelling point of how Facebook pulled back its own investment in its own product after the deal. Point taken. /5 pic.twitter.com/9FDGBttv1L
— Jason Kint (@jason_kint) January 11, 2022
Boasberg an excellent district court judge with fine rep - bad news for Facebook
— Harry Litman (@harrylitman) January 12, 2022
Second time lucky?’ FTC’s case against Facebook can move forward, federal judge rules. https://t.co/gdosmkQxGF
A federal judge on Tuesday ruled that the Federal Trade Commission’s antitrust case against Facebook could proceed, in a reversal of fortune for the agency after its first complaint was thrown out last year.
— Justia.com (@justiacom) January 11, 2022
via @washingtonpost https://t.co/h0fmUmK2qx
The FTC's suit against Facebook is crucial to upholding antitrust laws and promoting competition. Today's decision by the court is a win as this case proceeds.
— The Real Facebook Oversight Board (@FBoversight) January 11, 2022
Facebook's patent violations of antitrust law ought to be challenged its executives held accountable.
(1/2) https://t.co/fwWub1E7rp
First, they told you the FTC failed to even define a market - their go-to line. This was entirely false, the court said they had failed to provide metrics to back it up which they added in spades to the amended complaint which had the same core theory as the Court notes. /2 pic.twitter.com/yRDaox5uq5
— Jason Kint (@jason_kint) January 11, 2022
The really really obviously on Facebook's payroll and influence list said things like the FTC had already "approved" the Instagram and WhatsApp deals which were sort of the rookie-league arguments and false. But again, the Judge clarified why those points were irrelevant. /3 pic.twitter.com/JhEP1OvylM
— Jason Kint (@jason_kint) January 11, 2022
And love seeing the Court agree with Facebook that consumer harm also matters and that can't be proven on price (since facebook is free) but then agreeing the allegations are solid. DISCOVERY ON THIS AREA IS GOING TO BE A GOLD MINE as we all know, Facebook is a cesspool. /6 pic.twitter.com/0W2LO1LVGW
— Jason Kint (@jason_kint) January 11, 2022
So when Facebook attempts to argue FTC re-arranged chairs on Titanic or FB's paid lobby group (hi @adamkovac) points out meaningless language in the decision (yes, Count II remains in the complaint), please return to my first tweet as they also said it should be thrown out. /8 pic.twitter.com/m1qbRWWKdI
— Jason Kint (@jason_kint) January 11, 2022
Upshot of the ruling: play ball, the FTC's claims about Facebook's creation & maintenance of a personal social networking monopoly are solid enough for the case to go ahead. So, as it says, 2nd time lucky since the same court dismissed the case 1st time around.
— Dwayne Winseck (@mediamorphis) January 11, 2022
Snap! FTC amended lawsuit to break up Facebook - green light from the court! Congrats to FTC.
— Jason Kint (@jason_kint) January 11, 2022
Rather than spend time dunking on FB's friendlies who suggested it had failed, I hope you will ignore their next round of talking points since the last ones were so damn wrong. /1 pic.twitter.com/kyZeDqtrbl
More of Meta’s dirty laundry may soon get aired https://t.co/orVD4A9U0p
— Glen Wakeman (@GlenWakeman) January 12, 2022
It’s too late for the FTC’s Facebook lawsuit, which won’t be settled for years, to really matter. But the agency has started to scrutinize Meta’s many VR acquisitions — and that, I think, could matter a lot https://t.co/5rKaaOpPhH pic.twitter.com/0wevJ8HMxb
— Casey Newton (@CaseyNewton) January 12, 2022
It is a bit late to break up Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, but the US antitrust against Meta might help stop the giant from controlling the new virtual and augmented reality space, says @CaseyNewton https://t.co/AqSSqwdXPB
— Pernille Tranberg (@PernilleT) January 12, 2022