Connect with us

News

The FTC wants Facebook to stop gobbling up its competition

The commission requests that Facebook sell both Instagram and WhatsApp.

Facebook logo with blurred facebook website in background
Image: KnowTechie

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is fed up with Facebook’s gigantic presence. The commission has filed an amended complaint that accuses the company of operating a monopoly and requests that the social giant sell both Instagram and WhatsApp.

According to a post on the FTC website, the complaint was officially filed earlier this week. The complaint claims that Facebook has made it difficult to compete in the social media market by buying up competitors to create a monopoly of sorts.

Facebook bought Instagram for $1 billion after the app saw a boom in popularity in 2012. The company also owns WhatsApp, which has incredible popularity internationally. Facebook acquired WhatsApp in 2014 for $4 billion.

The FTC’s complaint references a 2008 email from Mark Zuckerberg, where the Facebook boss says “it is better to buy than compete.” It looks like the company took those words to heart.

As part of the complaint, the FTC claims that Facebook uses its incredible wealth as a tool to eliminate competition. For that, the suit requests that Facebook is required to sell both Instagram and WhatsApp in an effort to decrease some of the control that Facebook has over the social media market.

Personally, I really like the complaint. I do think it’s hard to argue that Facebook has a monopoly, with several other successful social media platforms out there.

However, their buying power does give them the ability to “buy and bury,” which is a big slap in the face to a free market. The FTC argues that if Facebook isn’t stopped, that it will continue to buy up the smaller fish to ensure that it remains the king of the pond.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

Follow us on Flipboard, Google News, or Apple News

Staff writer at KnowTechie. Alex has two years of experience covering all things technology, from video games to electric cars. He's a gamer at heart, with a passion for first-person shooters and expansive RPGs. Shoot him an email at alex@knowtechie.com

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Deals of the Day

  1. Paramount+: Live Sports Starting at $2.50/mo. for 12 Mos. Sports - Try It Free w/ code: SPORTS
  2. Save $20 on a Microsoft365 subscription at Best Buy with a Best Buy Membership!
  3. Try Apple TV+ for FREE and watch all the Apple Originals
  4. Save $300 on a Segway at Best Buy, now $699

More in News