48 states and FCC File Antitrust Lawsuits To Break Up Facebook

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For years we have been working to hold tech giants to account. We had to go back to the drawing board in our 2016 lawsuit against these social media giants because welacked standing’ despite Facebook’s relentless attacks on our pages. The basis of our suit was challenging Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA) under the First Amendment, which provides immunity from lawsuits to Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, thereby permitting these social media giants to engage in government-sanctioned censorship and discriminatory business practices free from legal challenge.

Facebook and Google take in roughly half of all Internet ad revenue. According to the Wall Street Journal:

In the U.S., Alphabet Inc.’s Google drives 89% of internet search; 95% of young adults on the internet use a Facebook Inc. product; and Amazon.com Inc. now accounts for 75% of electronic book sales. Those firms that aren’t monopolists are duopolists: Google and Facebook absorbed 63% of online ad spending last year; Google and Apple Inc. provide 99% of mobile phone operating systems; while Apple and Microsoft Corp. supply 95% of desktop operating systems.

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Ma Bell was broken up by the government, albeit for different reasons. But it can and must be done.

Breitbart:

AT&T has called for an “Internet Bill of Rights” and argued that Facebook and Google should also be subjected to rules that would prevent unfair censorship on their platforms.

AT&T, one of the largest telecommunications companies, called for Congress to enact an “Internet Bill of Rights” which would subject Facebook, Google, and other content providers to rules that would prevent unfair censorship on Internet Service Providers (ISPs) such as Comcast or AT&T as well as content providers such as Facebook and Google.

AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson wrote, “Congressional action is needed to establish an ‘Internet Bill of Rights’ that applies to all internet companies and guarantees neutrality, transparency, openness, non-discrimination and privacy protection for all internet users.”

Stephenson posted the ad in the New York Times, Washington Post, and other national news outlets on Wednesday.

The US government has used anti-trust laws to break up monopolies. They ought to break up Facebook. Section 2 of the Sherman Act highlights particular results deemed anticompetitive by nature and prohibits actions that ‘shall monopolize, or attempt to monopolize, or combine or conspire with any other person or persons, to monopolize any part of the trade or commerce among the several States, or with foreign nations.’ Couldn’t the same be applied to information? The United States government took down Standard Oil, Alcoa, Northern Securities, the American Tobacco Company and many others without nearly the power that Facebook has.”

NRO:

Tech companies such as Google and Facebook are also utilities of sorts that provide essential services. They depend on the free use of public airwaves. Yet they are subject to little oversight; they simply make up their own rules as they go along. Antitrust laws prohibit one corporation from unfairly devouring its competition, capturing most of its market, and then price-gouging as it sees fit without fear of competition. Google has all but destroyed its search-engine competitors in the same manner that Facebook has driven out competing social media.

Clearly Mark Zuckerberg, Jack Dorsey, Sergey Brin, Eric Schmidt, and Jeff Bezos are contemporary but far less enlightened or talented  “robber barons.” So why are they not smeared, defamed, and reviled like the robber barons of yesteryear? Says NRO:

Why are huge tech companies seemingly exempt from the rules that older corporations must follow? First, their CEOs wisely cultivate the image of hipsters. The public sees them more as aging teenagers in T-shirts, turtlenecks, and flip-flops than as updated versions of J. P. Morgan, John D. Rockefeller, or other robber barons of the past. Second, the tech industry’s hierarchy is politically progressive.

In brilliant marketing fashion, the Internet, laptops, tablets, and smartphones have meshed with the hip youth culture of music, television, the movies, universities, and fashion. Think Woodstock rather than Wall Street. Corporate spokesmen at companies such as Twitter and YouTube brag about their social awareness, especially on issues such as radical environmentalism, identity politics, and feminism. Given that the regulatory deep state is mostly a liberal enterprise, the tech industry is seen as an ally of federal bureaucrats and regulators. Think more of Hollywood, the media, and universities than Exxon, General Motors, Koch Industries, and Philip Morris.

The groovy t-shirt-turtleneck vibe may keep the great unwashed under their spell, but it’s the shared political ideology with the far left that keeps these corporate managers free from accountability.

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FTC and 48 states file antitrust lawsuits against ‘anticompetitive’ Facebook

The Federal Trade Commission and 48 states and territories filed lawsuits against Facebook on Wednesday alleging that the company engaged in unlawful behavior to eliminate its competition in social networking.

By: Ryan Lovelace, The Washington Times, December 9, 2020

The FTC wants a federal judge to grant an injunction that could require Facebook to divest its assets, Instagram and WhatsApp.

“Facebook’s actions to entrench and maintain its monopoly deny consumers the benefits of competition,” said Ian Conner, director of the FTC’s bureau of competition, in a statement. “Our aim is to roll back Facebook’s anticompetitive conduct and restore competition so that innovation and free competition can thrive.”

The lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia argues that Facebook has enjoyed monopoly control for the personal social networking realm for much of the last decade.

“Since toppling early rival Myspace and achieving monopoly power, Facebook has turned to playing defense through anticompetitive means,” the lawsuit said. “After identifying two significant competitive threats to its dominant position — Instagram and WhatsApp — Facebook moved to squelch those threats by buying the companies, reflecting CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s view, expressed in a 2008 email, that ‘it is better to buy than compete.’ “

The 48 states, excluding Alabama and South Dakota, also filed a lawsuit in federal court in D.C. arguing that Facebook illegally maintained monopoly power via a “buy-or-bury” strategy.

“Facebook’s unlawfully maintained monopoly power gives it wide latitude to set the terms for how its users’ private information is collected, used, and protected,” the states said in the lawsuit. “In addition, because Facebook decides how and whether the content shared by users is displayed to other users, Facebook’s monopoly gives it significant control over how users engage with their closest connections and what content users see when they do.”

Facebook did not immediately comment on the FTC’s litigation. The company’s stock tumbled more than 2% on Wednesday as news of the FTC’s litigation broke.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers have also expressed an interest in cracking down on Big Tech and Wednesday’s litigation is the latest salvo against Facebook.

The House Judiciary Committee’s antitrust subcommittee began investigating Big Tech last summer and questioned Mr. Zuckerberg at a hearing in July. The committee’s subsequent report on its findings called on the FTC to take action against Big Tech and recommended a revival of antitrust enforcement from the federal government.

Alongside the antitrust scrutiny, Mr. Zuckerberg has also faced grillings in multiple Senate committee hearings focused on election-related content and the efficacy of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. Section 230 shields social media companies from legal liability for content posted by users on their platforms.

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Clearly101
Clearly101
3 years ago

The Wimp Republicans are ALWAYS TOO LITTLE TOO LATE…FACEBOOK SCREWED AMERICA IN THIS ELECTION AND NOW YOU WANT TO STOP THEM? GOOD LUCK

YesHemp Cbd
YesHemp Cbd
3 years ago
Reply to  Clearly101

The Repuklians are in on the game. They have big money too in these companies. This is another show trial where nothing will happen, hope I am wrong. For last 4 years DOJ no matter whom is in the saddle people get screwed over with ZERO action. Fat Boy Blobbo Bush Bubby Boot Licker Bobby Barr is a tool loser turncoat slob. Worse than sessions makes me wonder how Trump let this guy in as AG? Maybe Trump allowing him to be scapegoat for the big scam? Is this all a show? Please Lord God almighty let me be wrong!

Ziggy46
Ziggy46
3 years ago
Reply to  Clearly101

Indeed, I couldn’t have said it better, Clearly. ‘Good luck,’ you are right; Facebook and others will hide behind that which they loathe, the Constitution. The cards are stacked against these Antitrust Lawsuits because most, if not all, of the DOJ and others are rife with Leftists, Democrats.

It is similar to the corrupt election; the untethered Democrats and their enablers seemingly have all bases covered. That said, I hope I am wrong.

felix1999
felix1999
3 years ago

I see their priorities… there is more concern over this than a BIDEN Presidency. Forty- eight states object to this over about twenty states concerned about fair, fraud free elections.

patd
patd
3 years ago

Nothing but libturds running fb!!!!

spfoam1
spfoam1
3 years ago

When a corporation is used in a coup, new ownership is in order. Take their ship and hang the pirates.

Ban Islam
Ban Islam
3 years ago

We don’t want to just break up the social media giants, we need to impose serious curbs on their ability to censor its users. We need enforcement of the first amendment and to stop them from banning views/opinions they don’t like.

Breaking up the companies does nothing to prevent the Leftist fascism/tyranny going on right now on these sites, esp. Twitter and Youtube. They’ve essentially become Sharia fiefdoms, just mention Islam and Muslims and your post is deleted and eventually you face suspensions and banning.

Thousands of pro-freedom, anti-Islam patriots have had their accounts removed, some permanently. Who the hell decided for us that Islam is off-limits and we have to shut up or face consequences if we do speak about this religion of rape, terrorism and warfare? This is the work of traitors and cowards who hold immense power over us.

If we are not allowed to talk about Islam then we already live in a de facto Islamic state. Would anyone have imagined that we’d allow the Muslim terrorists to do this to our ability to communicate with one another after 9/11 and yet here we are. The Muslims are winning thanks to the backstabbing leftists running big tech, they need to be dealt with. Not to mention they should go to jail for aiding/abetting our enemies.

Blackmagikwolf Richardson
Blackmagikwolf Richardson
3 years ago
Reply to  Ban Islam

ONLY GOOD DIAPERHEAD: IS A DEAD DIAPERHEAD; in my book!

Ban Islam
Ban Islam
3 years ago

We don’t want to just break up the social media giants, we need to impose serious curbs on their ability to censor its users. We need enforcement of the first amendment and to stop them from banning views/opinions they don’t like.

Breaking up the companies does nothing to prevent the Leftist fascism/tyranny going on right now on these sites, esp. Twitter and Youtube. They’ve essentially become Sharia fiefdoms, just mention Islam and Muslims and your post is deleted and eventually you face suspensions and banning.

Thousands of pro-freedom, anti-Islam patriots have had their accounts removed, some permanently. Who the hell decided for us that Islam is off-limits and we have to shut up or face consequences if we do speak about this religion of rape, terrorism and warfare? This is the work of traitors and cowards who hold immense power over us.

If we are not allowed to talk about Islam then we already live in a de facto Islamic state. Would anyone have imagined that we’d allow the Muslim terrorists to do this to our ability to communicate with one another after 9/11 and yet here we are. The Muslims are winning thanks to the backstabbing leftists running big tech, they need to be dealt with. Not to mention they should go to jail for aiding/abetting our enemies.

RebelFred
RebelFred
3 years ago

comment image

Ziggy46
Ziggy46
3 years ago
Reply to  RebelFred

Great one, RebelFred.

Fount
Fount
3 years ago

The GOP has a new mascot. The elephant has been replaced with the more fitting bovine. The GOP like the bovine chews its cud, is passive, flatulent, and in the end, walks peacefully to its own slaughter.

mtman2
mtman2
3 years ago
Reply to  Fount

Nah the JackAss has that covered quite well for the Party of JACKASS’S is about to become Lion food being that’d be OUR new symbol and – “they make a fine meal”….. right jackass…?

Fount
Fount
3 years ago
Reply to  Fount

And I should add is also full of crap.

Fount
Fount
3 years ago

Trump needs to sign an executive order like Lincoln giving the military to arrest and throw the tech scum in prison for their treason.

Lincoln’s Executive Order:

Abraham Lincoln photo
ABRAHAM LINCOLN

16th President of the United States: 1861 ‐ 1865
Executive Order—Arrest and Imprisonment of Irresponsible Newspaper Reporters and Editors

May 18, 1864
Major-General John A. Dix,

Commanding at New York:

Whereas there has been wickedly and traitorously printed and published this morning in the New York World and New York Journal of Commerce, newspapers printed and published in the city of New York, a false and spurious proclamation purporting to be signed by the President and to be countersigned by the Secretary of State, which publication is of a treasonable nature, designed to give aid and comfort to the enemies of the United States and to the rebels now at war against the Government and their aiders and abettors, you are therefore hereby commanded forthwith to arrest and imprison in any fort or military prison in your command the editors, proprietors, and publishers of the aforesaid newspapers, and all such persons as, after public notice has been given of the falsehood of said publication, print and publish the same with intent to give aid and comfort to the enemy; and you will hold the persons so arrested in close custody until they can be brought to trial before a military commission for their offense. You will also take possession by military force of the printing establishments of the New York World and Journal of Commerce, and hold the same until further orders, and prohibit any further publication therefrom.

A. LINCOLN.

Mal
Mal
3 years ago

Rip up Chinese-controlled Fakebook page by page.

knightsstrength
knightsstrength
3 years ago

Top EU Scientist Warns COVID-19 Vaccine Linked To Sterilization of Women
https://banned.video/watch?id=5fcc2f89e6fa5b6587c808dc

Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 VaccineVRBPAC
Briefing Document Serious Adverse Events

Deaths
A total of six (2 vaccine, 4 placebo) of 43,448 enrolled participants (0.01%) died during the reporting period from April 29, 2020 (first participant, first visit) to November 14, 2020 (cutoff date). Both vaccine recipients were >55 years of age; one experienced a cardiac arrest 62 days after vaccination #2 and died 3 days later,and the other died from arteriosclerosis 3 days after vaccination #1. The placebo recipients died from myocardial infarction (n=1), hemorrhagic stroke (n=1) or unknown causes (n=2); three of the four deaths occurred in the older group (>55 years of age). All deaths represent events that occur in the general population of the age groups where they occurred, at a similar rate.

PDF
https://www.fda.gov/media/144245/download

mtman2
mtman2
3 years ago
knightsstrength
knightsstrength
3 years ago
Reply to  mtman2

Thankyou

mtman2
mtman2
3 years ago

Pass the news along to shut the Globalist tyrannical plans down for they can’t fight millions of Patriots in every nation…!

knightsstrength
knightsstrength
3 years ago
Reply to  mtman2

Another News Site?debate from Australia. Some of the Presenters below. Paul Murray on now with others talking about media control. Will be update in about half hor or longer

https://www.skynews.com.au/
https://www.skynews.com.au/page/paul-murray
https://www.skynews.com.au/page/alan-jones
https://www.skynews.com.au/page/outsiders
https://www.skynews.com.au/page/outsiders

mtman2
mtman2
3 years ago

ChiComs can almost taste owning Au-stralia…!

knightsstrength
knightsstrength
3 years ago
Reply to  mtman2

another channel from your doctor video

https://www.brandnewtube.com/

mtman2
mtman2
3 years ago

“Brand New Tube” looks good so signed up.

Ted
Ted
3 years ago

Farcebook has been warned not to sensor and they continue. Well, maybe it is time to break them up.

Annie
Annie
3 years ago

Why are they not filing lawsuits for this ‘operation warp speed vaccination’ program to vaccinate the ENTIRE population of the United States? I want to know if this will be forced, if we will not be able to be free again in that this will be blackmail to be free again. This makes me extremely angry! Watch out! Our enemies may not be who you think they are. Some people are too dumb to be on the top of the list as the enemy, they are pawns but looks like they only use the Constitution for their own purpose, and not for ours!

Annie
Annie
3 years ago
Reply to  Annie

Turn to Jesus while there is time. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16. Jesus was born to die for your sin!! Jesus is God, of course He raised from the dead on the 3rd day according to the scriptures.

Jack Holan
Jack Holan
3 years ago

Less than a Bill of Rights the Telecom and Internet Providers need to be forbidden to censor. Who are they to decide what social, political, and geographical issues have merit and which do not, what causes deserve to be blocked.

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