Forty-seven states are taking part in a New York led antitrust investigation into Facebook. New York State Attorney General Letitia James made the announcement Tuesday, CNBC reported.
The multistate investigation was first announced in September with participation from Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee and the District of Columbia, but has since expanded considerably. The probe will zero in on Facebook’s dominance in the social media industry and whether it broke any state or federal laws as a result of any anticompetitive conduct related to that dominance. “After continued bipartisan conversations with attorneys general from around the country, today I am announcing that we have vastly expanded the list of states, districts, and territories investigating Facebook for potential antitrust violations,” James said in a statement. “Our investigation now has the support of 47 attorneys general from around the nation, who are all concerned that Facebook may have put consumer data at risk, reduced the quality of consumers’ choices, and increased the price of advertising. As we continue our investigation, we will use every investigative tool at our disposal to determine whether Facebook’s actions stifled competition and put users at risk.”
Check It Out: Forty-seven States Taking Part in Facebook Antitrust Investigation