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Meta Wins Ruling Against FTC In VR Purchase Case

By  |  February 1, 2023

A California judge is reportedly allowing Meta to close its acquisition of virtual reality fitness startup Within, despite an ongoing antitrust case by the Federal Trade Commission. Bloomberg reports that a pair of sealed orders deny the FTC’s request to block the deal but with a one-week delay that will give the FTC time to appeal. The orders were posted yesterday, and a status hearing on the case is set for February 7th.

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    The FTC sued in July of 2022 to stop Meta’s acquisition of Within, which makes the popular VR app Supernatural. The agency argued that Meta’s purchase would expand its dominance in the consumer VR market, where Meta has staked many of its resources in recent years. The commission highlighted Meta’s previous merger with the company behind Beat Saber in 2019, claiming that the addition of Within would eliminate a “beneficial rivalry” between the two companies.

    Related: Snap Ordered To Hand Over Emails In Meta FTC Antitrust Case

    Meta fought the decision, but in December, it agreed to delay its Within acquisition until January 31st — although Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth said in a hearing that the company might drop the deal if it “doesn’t close in a timely manner.” Meta declined to discuss the decision at this point.

    The FTC apparently faced internal disagreements over whether to intervene in Meta and Within’s deal, and its pursuit of the case stands in stark contrast to several relatively smooth Meta (formerly Facebook) acquisitions, including its purchase of VR startup Oculus in 2014. “Out of respect for the court’s orders, the FTC is not in a position to comment at this time,” FTC director of public affairs Douglas Farrar told The Verge in response to a request for comment.

    Senators Urge Court to Scrutinize DOJ Settlement in HPE-Juniper Deal Senators Urge Court to Scrutinize DOJ HPE-Juniper Settlement

    Senators Urge Court to Scrutinize DOJ Settlement in HPE-Juniper Deal

    By  |  July 30, 2025

    A group of Democratic senators is pressing a federal judge to take a closer look at the Department of Justice’s recent settlement allowing Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. (HPE) to proceed with its $14 billion acquisition of Juniper Networks. The lawmakers argue the deal may have been influenced by political favoritism rather than grounded in the public interest.

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      According to a statement released by Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), the Department’s about-face on its earlier challenge to the merger raises serious concerns for the senators. They submitted a letter to Judge P. Casey Pitts of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, urging the court to exercise its oversight authority under the Tunney Act.

      Initially, the DOJ’s Antitrust Division filed a lawsuit on January 30 to block the proposed merger, warning that combining two of the top three enterprise wireless networking providers could result in significant market concentration. The trial was scheduled to begin on July 9. However, less than two weeks before proceedings were set to start, DOJ announced a settlement with the companies and moved to abandon its challenge.

      Per the senators’ statement, they believe the DOJ’s decision warrants further examination, particularly in light of reports that HPE and Juniper employed lobbyists with close ties to the White House and the Attorney General’s office. The letter also raises concerns about possible internal dissent within the Antitrust Division, alleging that staff who opposed the settlement may have been excluded from negotiations.

      As part of the Tunney Act’s public comment process, the senators submitted their letter to the DOJ’s Antitrust Division and also provided it directly to the court. They argue that without full transparency, the integrity of antitrust enforcement is at risk, especially amid growing concerns over alleged pay-to-play dynamics in various federal agencies.

      Per the statement, the senators are calling on the court to utilize its authority under Section 16(f) of the Tunney Act to gather information that could clarify whether the agreement was reached based on merit—or political expediency.

      The court has not yet responded to the request.

      Source: Warren Senate