Forty-six attorneys general have joined a New York-led antitrust investigation into Facebook

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Washington Post



Forty-six attorneys general have joined a New York-led antitrust investigation into Facebook, the states announced Tuesday, raising the stakes in a sweeping bipartisan probe of the tech giant that could usher massive changes to its business practices.

The expanded roster of states and territories taking part in the investigation reflects broad concerns among officials that “Facebook may have put consumer data at risk, reduced the quality of consumers’ choices, and increased the price of advertising,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James in a statement announcing the update. The Post first reported on growing state interest in the investigation.

The state inquiry into Facebook comes in addition to two other antitrust investigations of the social-networking behemoth taking in place in Washington, by the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission. Facebook has acknowledged the FTC inquiry in recent securities filings. The agency is exploring the company’s past acquisitions, including Instagram and WhatsApp, for possible violations of antitrust law.

Initially, New York launched its probe with seven other states and D.C.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/10/22/forty-six-attorneys-general-have-joined-new-york-led-antitrust-investigation-into-facebook/

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[bucolic_frolic]

1. Classic candidate for trustbusting

Facebook is in every aspect of our lives, even those of us who don't use it, it makes a ton of money doing it, and it has not a lot of awareness or concern for the societal implications of its policies and existence. Ripe for examination for sure.

[George II]

2. Don't mess with Ms. James!

[PSPS]

3. "in addition to two other antitrust investigations ... by the Justice Department and the (FTC)"

We can be sure nothing will come from those trump-captured agencies. They'll probably do all they can to thwart the states' actions.

[dalton99a]

7. +1. Barr will do his usual thorough job

[targetpractice]

4. I think this is appropriate, but...

...I don't feel like grouping Apple into these conversations about breaking up tech companies is the same. I cringe whenever Warren mentions Apple.

Contention: Apple should not be broken up like folks are proposing for Facebook and Google. Thoughts?

Confession: I am an admittedly a total Apple fanboy, but I think Apple is qualitatively different than Google and Facebook. And, I think Apple's ecosystem is unique to them and their own innovation that saved the company from bankruptcy, and totally disappearing in 1997.

• Apple makes their money from hardware sales, not advertising;
• They don't collect private information or track users with with their Apple ID;
• They sell an end-to-end solution (user interface to hardware);

Some of Apple's privacy strategies hinder them... For example, Siri is far behind Alexa because Apple doesn't track user input and correlate it to user Apple IDs which prevents the system from learning as much as Alexa.

[safeinOhio]

5. I'm with you.

I can live without Facebook. Apple has been good for this old fart.

[ancianita]

8. Apple absolutely does not have online algorithm models that insert anything. They don't run

social media. So no, Apple should not be included in anything having to do with anti-trust investigations.

Even if they're investigated, Apple will be dropped from the list because legal teams will find out that Apple's got no social media market usable for foreign interference.

Only when Apple is within the border of China are they getting a hard time. But Barr and MF45 could use Apple as leverage in his tariff negotiations.


This anti-trust move could very well be exploited by Barr and the FBI to force Apple to go along with building backdoors in their products in China. Apple users and tech industry news orgs are paying close attention.

[Hekate]

6. Good news!

[Thekaspervote]

9. Good!! There are lots of other ways to keep in touch with F&F.. BOYCOTT FB!!!

[olddad65]

10. FUCK FACEBOOK

Let them relocate in Moscow.

[Yeehah]

11. Zuckerberg is dishonest and malignant

There should be no bilionaires.