. . World News – CA – U. . S.. . According to sources, Facebook will be sued on Wednesday for antitrust violations

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A group of U. . S.. . States headed by New York will file a lawsuit Wednesday afternoon accusing Facebook Inc of antitrust violations, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

New York attorney general Letitia James has announced that she will make an important « business-related » announcement on Wednesday afternoon. The North Carolina attorney general’s office Josh Stein announced a press conference about “a technology company. ”

The U. . S.. . The Federal Trade Commission has investigated Facebook, as have the attorneys general. More than 40 are expected to join the lawsuit.

If the lawsuits are filed, Facebook would be the second major tech company to be sued this year. The Justice Department sued Google from Alphabet Inc. in October.

In this summer’s congressional report, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg defended much-criticized acquisitions like Instagram and WhatsApp, saying his social media platform helped them expand from small, insignificant businesses to powerhouses. He has also argued that Facebook has a number of competitors, including other tech giants.

Facebook completed a privacy investigation with the FTC in 2019 and paid $ 5 billion to resolve allegations it breached a 2012 consent form by inappropriately disclosing user information to the now-defunct Cambridge Analytica for their Customers also heard about President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign.

Reporting by Diane Bartz, David Shepardson, and Karen Freifeld; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Lisa Shumaker

All offers were delayed by at least 15 minutes. A full list of exchanges and delays can be found here.

United States Antitrust, Facebook, Federal Trade Commission