Earlier this year, Facebook announced plans to merge the messaging infrastructure across Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp, which would make it possible for users to communicate across the different platforms. It looks like those plans might be stopped in their tracks, though, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal (via Reuters).
According to the report, the United States Federal Trade Commission is considering an injunction against Facebook due to concerns over how the company's policies on how its apps interact might violate antitrust law. The injunction could stop Facebook from enforcing policies on how its apps interact with rivals or integrate with each other. Specifically, Facebook could be prevented from merging the messaging infrastructure. The injunction could be filed as early next month, per the report.
The stock market didn't respond well to the news, with Facebook shared dropping by 4% during today's trading as a result, according to Business Insider. Neither Facebook nor the FTC made any comments on the report.
Facebook has had its share of legal trouble in recent years, and tech companies in general have been under scrutiny recently. Earlier this year, the Department of Justice announced it would be conducting an investigation on numerous companies, including Facebook, Google, and Amazon.
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