Op-Ed

The Unintended Consequences of Breaking Up Facebook

Last week the Federal Trade Commission and 48 state and district attorneys general filed an antitrust case against Facebook, claiming it had unfairly gained dominance in the social media market through its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp. This case is a marked departure from the standards that have historically guided American antitrust, writes AAF’s Director of Technology and Innovation Policy Jennifer Huddleston in an op-ed for Morning Consult. Huddleston explains the potential consequences of shifting antitrust standards as well as how a breakup of Facebook could impact consumers and innovation.

An excerpt:

As we approach a new administration and a new Congress, many debates remain over various tech policy issues. Through those debates, policymakers must continue a principled approach to antitrust and use the appropriate tools when it comes to addressing concerns about issues such as content moderation and data privacy. The consequences of unwinding mergers or changing the approach to antitrust could extend well beyond Facebook and the social media market and chill innovation more broadly. We all will be the poorer for that.

Read the full op-ed here.

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