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upstart writes:

The FTC's antitrust case against Facebook is going forward after all:

After an initial setback, the Federal Trade Commission's antitrust case against Facebook, which recently renamed itself Meta, is going ahead.

Back in June, a US federal judge ruled that the FTC's initial argument accusing Facebook of being a monopoly was too vague. But the agency refiled the case, and now, the same judge has ruled that the FTC's amended case against Facebook is "more robust and detailed than before" and can go ahead. The court rejected Facebook's request to dismiss the case altogether, a decision that dealt a blow against Facebook's ongoing battle with government regulators over its market power.

The FTC is one of the most powerful US regulatory agencies. If it wins its case against Facebook, there could be major negative implications for the social media company.

"FTC staff presented a strong amended complaint, and we look forward to trial," said Holly Vedova, director of the FTC Bureau of Competition, in a statement to Recode.

Facebook, meanwhile, said it believes it will ultimately succeed in its battle against the FTC.

"We're confident the evidence will reveal the fundamental weakness of the claims. Our investments in Instagram and WhatsApp transformed them into what they are today. They have been good for competition, and good for the people and businesses that choose to use our products," said Meta company spokesperson Chris Sgro, in part, in a statement to Recode.

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