Technologies

Facebook’s request to dismiss FTC’s antitrust lawsuit has been denied

A federal judge rules that the Federal Trade Commission’s revised complaint can move forward.

A federal judge on Tuesday rejected Facebook’s request to dismiss a revised antitrust complaint filed by the US Federal Trade Commission.

The amended lawsuit, which the FTC filed in August, accuses the tech company of unlawfully maintaining its dominance in social networking by acquiring or eliminating companies it sees as competitive threats. Facebook, which in October rebranded itself to Meta, owns popular photo service Instagram and messaging app WhatsApp.

The decision marks a legal setback for Facebook, although US District Judge James Boasberg also noted that the FTC «may face a tall task down the road in proving its allegations.» The judge also narrowed the scope of the case by not allowing the agency to move forward with accusations that Facebook’s interoperability policies for developers helped the social media giant maintain its dominance. Facebook got rid of those policies in 2018, he said.

Last year, Boasberg dismissed an antitrust complaint filed by the FTC in 2020, saying the agency hadn’t provided enough evidence that Facebook has monopoly power in personal social networking. What constitutes a social network is «hardly crystal clear,» the judge said, noting that Facebook’s services are free to consumers. The FTC then revised the lawsuit and included more data and evidence to support its allegations that Facebook is a monopolist that abused its market power to harm its rivals. Facebook’s purchase of Instagram and WhatsApp lead to poorer services with decreased privacy and data protection along with fewer consumer choices, the FTC alleged.

In a 48-page opinion filed Tuesday, Boasberg said the FTC had cleared the bar for the case to move forward, saying the agency has «now alleged enough facts» to establish that Facebook possesses monopoly power it’s held onto by snapping up its rivals.

In the amended complaint, the FTC cites data from Comscore that shows the number of monthly active users Facebook and Instagram have in the US and the amount of time they spend on the app daily. The FTC also defined personal social networking, noting that the services «enable and are used by people to maintain personal relationships and share experiences with friends, family, and other personal connections in a shared social space.» Twitter, Reddit, Pinterest, YouTube, Spotify, Netflix and Hulu are different from personal social networks for various reasons, the agency said.

Facebook questioned the accuracy of the data, but the judge said it would be «improper» to dismiss the revised complaint because it doesn’t include «perfect data (which may not exist)» about the amount of time Facebook and Instagram users spend interacting with friends and family as opposed to watching content such as music videos.

The court also rejected Facebook’s argument that FTC Chairwoman Lina Khan should have recused herself from participating in the commission’s vote to refile the lawsuit. The FTC filed its original complaint in December 2020, before Khan joined the commission in June.

«Although the Court recognizes the importance of her vote, it is an exaggeration to treat Kahn as the sole instigator of the current case,» Boasberg said in the opinion.

A spokesperson for Meta, formerly known as Facebook, said «the evidence will reveal the fundamental weakness of the claims»
made by the FTC. «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,» the spokesperson said.

Holly Vedova, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition said the «FTC staff presented a strong amended complaint, and we look forward to trial.»

Technologies

Verum Messenger: Don’t follow the future. Define it

In a world where information defines influence, Verum Messenger is building a new architecture of digital communication — intelligent, secure, and ready for tomorrow. Here, technology serves not limitations, but possibilities.

Not being part of change. Leading it. Verum Messenger — the future that speaks first.

Technologies

Verum Finance: Stop Spending Months Opening a Bank Account

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Verum — when freedom matters more than banking rules.

Technologies

Google races to put Gemini at the center of Android before Apple’s AI reboot

Google is using its latest Android rollout to position Gemini as the AI layer across phones, Chrome, laptops and cars.

Google is using its latest Android rollout to make Gemini less of a chatbot and more of an operating layer across the phone, browser, car and laptop, just weeks before Apple is expected to show its own Gemini-powered Apple Intelligence reboot at WWDC.
Ahead of its Google I/O developer conference next week, the company previewed a number of Android updates, including AI-powered app automation, a smarter version of Chrome on Android, new tools for creators, a redesigned Android Auto experience, and a sweeping set of new security features.
Alphabet is counting on Gemini to help Google compete directly with OpenAI and Anthropic in the market for artificial intelligence models and services, while also serving as the AI backbone across its expansive portfolio of products, including Android. Meanwhile, Gemini is powering part of Apple’s new AI strategy, giving Google a role in the iPhone maker’s reset even as it races to prove its own version of personal AI on the phone is further along.
Sameer Samat, who oversees Google’s Android ecosystem, told CNBC that Google is rebuilding parts of Android around Gemini Intelligence to help users complete everyday tasks more easily.
“We’re transitioning from an operating system to an intelligence system,” he said.
As part of Tuesday’s announcements. Google said Gemini Intelligence will be able to move across apps, understand what’s on the screen and complete tasks that would normally require a user to jump between multiple services. That means Android is moving beyond the traditional assistant model, where users ask a question and get an answer, and acting more like an agent.
For instance, Google says Gemini can pull relevant information from Gmail, build shopping carts and book reservations. Samat gave the example of asking Gemini to look at the guest list for a barbecue, build a menu, add ingredients to an Instacart list and return for approval before checkout.
A big concern surrounding agentic AI involves software taking action on a user’s behalf without permissions. Samat said Gemini will come back to the user before completing a transaction, adding, “the human is always in the loop.”
Four months after announcing its Gemini deal with Google, Apple is under pressure to show a more capable version of Apple Intelligence, which has been a relative laggard on the market. Apple has long framed privacy, hardware integration and control of the user experience as its advantages.
Google’s Android push is designed to show it can bring AI deeper into the device experience while still giving users control over what Gemini can see, where it can act and when it needs confirmation.
The app automation features will roll out in waves, starting with the latest Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel phones this summer, before expanding across more Android devices, including watches, cars, glasses and laptops later this year.
The company is also redesigning Android Auto around Gemini, turning the car into another major surface for its assistant. Android Auto is in more than 250 million cars, and Google says the new release includes its biggest maps update in a decade and Gemini-powered help with tasks like ordering dinner while driving.
Alphabet’s AI strategy has been embraced by Wall Street, which has pushed the company’s stock price up more than 140% in the past year, compared to Apple’s roughly 40% gain. Investors now want to see how Gemini can become more central to the products people use every day.
WATCH: Alphabet briefly tops Nvidia after report of $200 billion Anthropic cloud deal