48 attorneys general, Federal Trade Commission file antitrust lawsuit against Facebook

DETROIT – More than 40 attorneys general, including Michigan, and the Federal Trade Commission have filed a lawsuit Wednesday against Facebook.

The lawsuit -- after years of an investigation into Facebook -- is focused on antitrust laws.

“We’ve seen this pattern emerge over a number of years where Facebook has illegally stifled competition to protect its monopoly power,” said Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.

RELATED: US government, 48 states bring antitrust action against Facebook

The contention is that Facebook either crushed or bought up its competition to the detriment of the consumers who use it. The FTC is requesting Facebook to divest from Instagram and WhatsApp.

A statement from Facebook reads:

“We’re reviewing the complaints & will have more to say soon. Years after the FTC cleared our acquisitions, the government now wants a do-over with no regard for the impact that precedent would have on the broader business community or the people who choose our products every day”

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Watch the full report in the video posted above.