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A federal judge has thrown out lawsuits filed against Facebook by federal and state officials alleging monopolistic practices on the part of the tech giant.
Judge James E. Boasberg on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Monday, June 28, dismissed two lawsuits filed against Facebook — one by the Federal Trade Commission, and another filed separately by attorneys general of 46 states, the territory of Guam and the District of Columbia.
In Boasberg’s order on the FTC case, he said federal enforcers failed to properly demonstrate that Facebook has monopoly power in social media.
“These allegations — which do not even provide an estimated actual figure or range for Facebook’s market share at any point over the past ten years — ultimately fall short of plausibly establishing that Facebook holds market power,” Boasberg said, per The Washington Post.
While the FTC’s complaint was dismissed, the case remains alive, for now — Boasberg said in his order the FTC has 30 days to file a new complaint.
The attorney generals’ lawsuit claimed Facebook pursued a systemic strategy in going after competition, and pointed to the company’s purchases of Instagram and WhatsApp in the last decade.
In dismissing their lawsuit, Boasberg noted Facebook purchased those companies in 2012 and 2014, respectively — long before the lawsuits were filed.
“The court is aware of no case, and plaintiffs provide none, where such a long delay in seeking such a consequential remedy has been countenanced in a case brought by a plaintiff other than the federal government, against which laches does not apply and to which the federal antitrust laws grant unique authority as sovereign law enforcer,” the order said, according to Law360. “If laches is to mean anything, it must apply on these facts, even in a suit brought by states.”
The news sent Facebook’s stock up by 4.2%, according to The New York Times.
What do you think of the federal judge’s ruling in these cases? Let us know in the comments below!
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50 thoughts onBREAKING: Federal Judge Throws Out Antitrust Lawsuits Against Facebook
Add me please
Please add me Thank You!
Add me please
Throw out the Judge!
FB wouldn’t allow me to choose from my own contacts who I could add/include in my own private messenger group! They would give me only 10 people to choose from most of the time only 3people to choose from!
Please add me.
Please include me in this, my name has come across those that Isabel no idea about!
Facebook disabled my account with 10+ years & over 3500 friends without explanation of why. In order to request a “review” they demanded an official ID, such as a license/passport, which I would NEVER give over to the facebook communists. I feel my free speech has been violated and would like to join in the class action suit. Please add me.
Add me as well. I want my data returned as they locked me out of my personal accounts. This corporation is Chartered and has no business censoring users of a different position on politics and government to further their political agenda. It has no business preventing FREE TRADE on its Platform notably its Advertisers which clearly violates the epitomy of Anti-trust law. IT has no business using Non-profit funds for political donating which is a clear violation of the definition of Non-profit organizations. It has no business violating our health privacy by pushing for Covid links on all of the correspondence highlighting covid remarks or removing accounts that educate about the vaccine. It has no business violating our civil liberties of free speech. Shall I go on? Okay there is also the issue of editing, as they are not publishers right?
add me please