US FTC Asks For Extension To Refile Its Facebook Antitrust Suit

The Federal Trade Commission on Friday asked a federal judge to give it more time to refile an antitrust suit against Facebook that is the agency’s biggest test in reining in the power of big tech, reported The New York Times. 

In a filing with the US District Court for the District of Columbia, the agency asked for a three-week extension, or until Aug. 19, to amend a lawsuit that the court dismissed last month. The FTC said in its request that it had reached an agreement with Facebook over the proposed extension.

Last month, Judge James E. Boasberg of the federal court knocked down a core argument made by the FTC saying prosecutors had failed to provide enough persuasive facts to back up the claim — that Facebook holds a monopoly over social networking. But the judge gave the FTC a 30-day window to refile its lawsuit.

The new lawsuit will be the first major action by Lina Khan, the new chair of the FTC and a critic of Facebook, Google and Amazon who has advocated for the breakup of the digital platforms.

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