Blumenthal Statement on FTC, State AGs Antitrust Suits Against Facebook

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, released the following statement in response to antitrust lawsuits brought against Facebook today by state Attorneys General and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC):

“Facebook’s reign of unaccountable, abusive practices against consumers, competitors and innovation must end today. For too long, Facebook has avoided real competition through anticompetitive acquisitions, unchecked power over consumers, and the failure of federal antitrust enforcers to take action. The Federal Trade Commission and the state Attorneys General’s cases against Facebook should set a new standard for how we fight back against entrenched corporate power. The case against Facebook is clear and compelling – competition has been stifled, innovation has suffered, and consumers have been harmed.”

In November, Blumenthal served as the Ranking Member at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on “Breaking the News: Censorship, Suppression, and the 2020 Election.” In an exchange with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Blumenthal called for strong enforcement by the FTC to address Facebook’s dominant market power and anti-consumer policies.

“Let me say finally that antitrust action by the Federal Trade Commission is long overdue. I believe that decisive action is necessary, including very likely breaking up Facebook as a remedy,” Blumenthal said at the hearing. “All options ought to be on the table, including divestment of Instagram and WhatsApp. The FTC ought to impose strict conditions on how Facebook uses consumer data and competes with rivals because the abuse of competition must end.”

Blumenthal’s opening remarks at the hearing, as prepared for delivery, are available here.

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