DOJ reportedly launches its own Facebook probe at AG Barr’s urging

Enlarge / U.S. Attorney General William Barr speaks at an event at the Robert F. Kennedy Main Justice Building in Washington, DC, in May 2019. (credit: Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images)

Facebook, it seems, is continuing to shatter records of all sorts. Usually, regulators at the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice agree to conduct antitrust probes against a company one at a time, deciding in advance who should take the lead and run with it. According to a new report, though, the US attorney general has decided that one federal investigation just isn't enough.

"Prodding" from US Attorney General William Barr has led the DOJ to launch its own antitrust investigation of Facebook, sources tell Bloomberg News. The DOJ will reportedly focus on conduct that is not included in the FTC's current investigation.

The FTC's Bureau of Competition and the DOJ's Antitrust Division share authority for antitrust enforcement in the United States. When a specific case arises, such as a high-stakes proposed merger or a complaint against a single company such as Facebook, the two agencies generally work out an agreement between them that will put that particular ball in one court or the other-not both.

Read 9 remaining paragraphs | Comments