40 States reportedly plan to file antitrust lawsuit against Facebook

A recent report claims that a coalition of at least 40 states led by New York are expected to file an anti-trust complaint against Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook as early as next week.

A recent report from CNBC states that sources believe that a lawsuit could be filed against social media giant Facebook as early as next week. According to four sources, a group of 40 states headed by New York has been investigating Facebook for potential antitrust violations and plans to file a lawsuit against the company.

The lawsuit would be the second major case taken against a major tech firm this year following the Justice Department’s lawsuit against Google in October. Over 40 states reportedly plan to sign on to the Facebook lawsuit one source said, but would not provide the list of states.

Both Republicans and Democrats in Congress, as well as President Trump and Democratic Presidential nominee Joe Biden, have attacked Facebook. Democrats claim that in the discourse it allows on its platform, the social media giant has been too free, while many Republicans point out that the social media site has often suppressed conservative voices. Facebook claims that while limiting “hate speech” and harmful content, it aims to support free speech.

Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg has argued in congressional testimony that the company has a range of competitors, including other tech giants. He has defended controversial acquisitions like Instagram and WhatsApp by saying the social media platform helped them expand from small, insignificant companies into powerhouses.

The Justice Department and FTC in 2019 began antitrust investigations into the four big tech companies, which also include Amazon.com Inc and Apple Inc. Shortly after that, attorneys generals quickly joined together to probe Google and Facebook.