Facebook Sought To 'Neutralize' Competitive Threats, FTC Argues As Landmark Antitrust Trial Begins (deadline.com) 18
An anonymous reader shares a report: An attorney for the Federal Trade Commission told a judge that Facebook, fearing the competitive threat of Instagram posted to their social media network, acquired both as a way to "neutralize" the rival. "They decided that competition was too hard," the FTC's attorney, Daniel Matheson, said in his opening statement in the government's antitrust case against the Meta Platforms social media empire.
He argued that with Meta's monopoly in social media, "consumers do not have reasonable alternatives they can turn to," even as satisfaction has declined. At stake is the potential breakup of Facebook-parent Meta, as the government has zeroed in on the 2012 acquisition of Instagram and 2014 purchase of WhatsApp.
He argued that with Meta's monopoly in social media, "consumers do not have reasonable alternatives they can turn to," even as satisfaction has declined. At stake is the potential breakup of Facebook-parent Meta, as the government has zeroed in on the 2012 acquisition of Instagram and 2014 purchase of WhatsApp.
should have gone to trial years ago (Score:1)
Correcting the article... (Score:1)
TFA says:
"An attorney for the Federal Trade Commission told a judge that Facebook, fearing the competitive threat of Instagram posted to their social media network, acquired both as a way to “neutralize” the rival.
I'm pretty sure that should have read:
"An attorney for the Federal Trade Commission told a judge that Facebook, fearing the competitive threat which Instagram and Whatsapp posed to their social media network, acquired both as a way to “neutralize” the rivals".
That's the only way I can configure TFA to make sense.
I guess this is what happens when a reporter texts an article in close to deadline while getting a blow-job in the back of a cab.
Okay, fine them then. Breakup is silly. (Score:1)
Re: (Score:3)
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Re: Okay, fine them then. Breakup is silly. (Score:2)
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Where was the DOJ before this? (Score:1)
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The only thing interesting about this trial (Score:3)
And yeah Facebook buys out competitors every few years. They have to because every few years there's a new social media website all the kids go to because no kid wants to be on the same site as their parents.
Yes! (Score:2)
About damn time... 8-)
Regulation post-merger (Score:3)
If we had decent regulation, those acquisitions shouldn't have happened. Instead, we look at it after the fact and try to turn it into either a bribe factory for the administration, or a fine developer / post tax for the fact the government was asleep at the wheel when this shit was happening.
There Are Lots of Competitor Buyouts - Ignored (Score:4, Insightful)
Hmmm.... (Score:2)
I guess Zuck didn't make a large enough "campaign contribution".