FTC, 47 states file suits to break up Instagram and WhatsApp from Facebook

Enlarge / Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp are the three largest parts of Facebook's extremely sprawling empire... for now. (credit: Rafael Henrique | SOPA Images | LightRocket | Getty Images)

The Federal Trade Commission and a coalition of 47 states attorneys general today filed a pair of long-awaited antitrust suits against Facebook, alleging that the company abused its power in the marketplace to neutralize competitors through acquisitions and prevent anyone else from presenting a more privacy-friendly alternative to consumers.

"By using its vast troves of data and money, Facebook has quashed or hindered what the company perceived as potential threats," New York Attorney General Letitia James, who led the states' effort, said. "In an effort to maintain its market dominance, Facebook has employed a strategy to impede competing services."

The lawsuit brought by the states (PDF) asks the court to prohibit Facebook from engaging in "any anticompetitive conduct" or practice going forward. That includes a request for Facebook to be blocked from any acquisitions valued at greater than $10 million without first getting permission from the states.

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