In moves that could shift the balance of power in social media and the wider digital ecosystem, the Federal Trade Commission (c) and more than 40 states on Wednesday filed separate antitrust lawsuits accusing Facebook of being a monopoly that uses its market dominance to squash rivals and vacuum up smaller competitors.
The development, while noteworthy in being the first U.S. antitrust action against Facebook, was expected following an 18-month investigation into the company by federal regulators and the state attorneys general.
