U.S. judge rejects Facebook request to dismiss FTC antitrust lawsuit

FILE PHOTO: A smartphone with Facebook's logo is seen in front of displayed Facebook's new rebrand logo Meta in this illustration taken October 28, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A U.S. judge on Tuesday declined to dismiss the Federal Trade Commission's antitrust lawsuit against Facebook, saying the FTC had a plausible case that should be allowed to proceed.

Facebook, now Meta Platforms, had asked Judge James Boasberg in Washington, D.C. federal court to dismiss the lawsuit in which the government asked the court to demand that Facebook sell Instagram and WhatsApp.