London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Aug 05, 2025

Facebook's Sandberg jabs government over antitrust lawsuits

Facebook's Sandberg jabs government over antitrust lawsuits

Officials have accused Facebook of using its wealth to squelch competition by buying rival social media platforms.

Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg pushed back on claims that the social media giant has engaged in anti-competitive business practices in an interview that aired Thursday, hours after federal and state officials announced plans to take antitrust action against the company.

Officials have accused Facebook of using its wealth to squelch competition by buying rival social media platforms before they can become direct competitors. During an appearance on “The Tamron Hall Show,” Sandberg, Facebook’s second-most senior executive, pointed to the existence of popular services such as TikTok, Snapchat and Apple’s iMessage as proof that competition is strong.

“If you want to get electricity today for your home, you’ve got one choice, but you’ve got lots of choice for your time and attention,” Sandberg said. “I think it’s hard to argue that there’s not competition. I also think it’s worth remembering that when we bought Instagram and WhatsApp, they were really small, little companies.”


In a sweeping antitrust lawsuit, a bipartisan coalition of 48 state attorneys general identified Facebook’s purchases of Instagram for $1 billion and WhatsApp for $19 billion as anticompetitive actions. New York Attorney General Letitia James said Facebook acquired Instagram “when the company did not even have a cent in revenue” and argued it paid far more for WhatsApp than what industry analysts deemed to be market value for the messaging app.

The Federal Trade Commission filed suit in a bid to unwind Facebook’s acquisitions of WhatsApp and Instagram. The state attorneys general have pledged to coordinate antitrust action with the FTC.

Sandberg noted that federal regulators had previously approved both transactions.

“We’ve faced real competition and those acquisitions were cleared,” Sandberg said. “If you can buy a company and eight years, 10 years later, the government can clear it then and unwind it, that’s going to be a really big chilling problem for American business. We are not going to be competitive around the world."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Elon Musk Receives $23.7 Billion Tesla Stock Award
Texas House Paralyzed After Democrats Walk Out Over Redistricting
Mexican Cartels Complicate Sheinbaum’s U.S. Security Talks
Mark Zuckerberg Declares War on the iPhone
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
U.S. Opens Official Investigation into Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith
Leaked audio of Canada's new PM Mark Carney admitting the truth about the Net Zero agenda: "We're gonna make a lot of money off of this."
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab: "In this new world, we must accept... total transparency. You have to get used to it. You have to behave accordingly. But if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid."
Meet Mufti Hamid Patel, head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
×