On Thursday, a federal court of appeals dismissed a plea made by a group of state attorneys general to revive an antitrust case against tech company Meta, reported The Hill.
The DC Circuit Court of Appeals deemed the lawsuit regarding Meta’s acquisitions of WhatsApp and Instagram as outdated and unusual.
The court ruled that the lawsuit, filed in 2020 regarding the 2012 and 2014 acquisitions of WhatsApp and Instagram, was brought too late by the states. Both acquisitions were previously approved by federal regulators.
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The DC circuit court ruling raises doubts about the argument that Meta is in breach of antitrust laws.
“We note in particular that courts should proceed cautiously when asked to deem novel products or practices anticompetitive. Many innovations may seem anti-competitive at first but turn out to be the opposite, and the market often corrects even those that are anti-competitive,” the decision stated.
The circuit court ruling confirms a decision made by US District Judge James Boasberg in June of 2021.
Despite previous legal challenges, Meta is currently facing further scrutiny from the Federal Trade Commission regarding anticompetitive practices related to their acquisitions.
