This latest dispute between Meta and the FTC began in May, when the agency said the company had misled parents about how much control they had over who their children had contact with in the Messenger Kids app, among other issues.
Elevate Your Tech Prowess with High-Value Skill Courses
| Offering College | Course | Website |
|---|---|---|
| IIM Lucknow | IIML Executive Programme in FinTech, Banking & Applied Risk Management | Visit |
| Indian School of Business | ISB Professional Certificate in Product Management | Visit |
| MIT | MIT Technology Leadership and Innovation | Visit |
The agency proposed tightening a 2019 consent agreement, that had forced Facebook, which became Meta in 2021, to pay a $5 billion penalty. The proposed changes include a prohibition on Meta from making money off young users, including in its virtual reality business. It would also expand restrictions on facial recognition technology.
Meta has asked for the FTC process to be paused until a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the reopening is resolved. Judge Randall Moss of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia said he would hear briefings on the preliminary injunction on Jan. 29.
The new lawsuit is part of a battle between Meta and the FTC as the agency works to promote privacy and competition among Big Tech firms who in turn seek to halt any changes that could hurt profits.
In November, Meta filed a separate appeal against a judge’s ruling that it should be an FTC judge, not a district judge, who decides whether the consent agreement should be tightened.
Discover the stories of your interest
Separately, the agency has an antitrust fight with Meta. It asked a federal court in 2020 to order the company to sell Instagram, which it bought for $1 billion in 2012, and WhatsApp, which it bought for $19 billion in 2014. That case has no trial date.
