Meta killed plans for homegrown VR fitness app, FTC says in suit

The FTC says the virtual reality fitness market already has a high barrier to entry, which is made more difficult because Meta controls the app store on the most popular headset. — Photo by JOSH EDELSON/AFP

The US Federal Trade Commission said Meta Platforms Inc. stifled competition when it halted plans to build its own virtual reality fitness app and opted to buy Within Unlimited Inc. instead.

"Meta itself had the intentions to enter – and thus was a reasonably probable entrant into – the VR Dedicated Fitness App market,” the agency said in a court filing Monday in its suit to block Meta’s acquisition of Within.