US Judge Rejects Facebook Bid To Derail US Antitrust Suit

The US Federal Trade Commission has alleged the social media giant, which has renamed itself Meta, holds an illegal monopoly by acquiring potential competitors that it now owns like Instagram and WhatsApp.

A federal judge on Tuesday ruled that US regulators' re-worked anti-trust case against Facebook can go ahead, saying the complaint was more robust and detailed than the version denied last year.

The US Federal Trade Commission has alleged the social media giant, which has renamed itself Meta, holds an illegal monopoly by acquiring potential competitors that it now owns like Instagram and WhatsApp.

Judge James Boasberg's ruling is a blow to Facebook, which faced renewed scrutiny last year after a whistleblower leaked documents showing executives knew the harm their services could cause to teens, democracy and users' well-being.

The FTC "may well face a tall task down the road in proving its allegations," but the case will not be dismissed, ruled Boasberg, who last year tossed out the original suit.