Meta Withheld Information on Instagram, WhatsApp Deals: FTC

  • Antitrust agency is suing to break up social-networking giant
  • Facebook parent says FTC has no evidence of consumer harm
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Meta Platforms Inc. withheld information from federal regulators during their original reviews of the Instagram and WhatsApp acquisitions, the US Federal Trade Commission said in a court filing as part of a lawsuit seeking to break up the social networking giant.

The company formerly known as Facebook bought photo-sharing app Instagram in 2012 and the messaging app WhatsApp in 2014. Both transactions were scrutinized by the FTC at the time before they closed – Instagram as part of an in-depth review and WhatsApp with a simple 30-day one.