Meta asks appeals court to tell FTC it cannot reopen privacy case

FILE PHOTO: Federal Trade Commission seal is seen at a news conference to announce that Facebook Inc has agreed to a settlement of allegations it mishandled user privacy at FTC Headquarters in Washington, U.S., July 24, 2019. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Meta Platforms, which owns WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook, filed a lawsuit asking an appeals court to stop the U.S. Federal Trade Commission from unilaterally re-opening a consent agreement and ordering the social media giant to stop collecting revenue on data from people under age 18.

The dispute stretches back to May, when the FTC proposed tightening a 2019 consent agreement to prohibit Meta from making money off young users, including in its virtual reality business. It would also expand restrictions on facial recognition technology.