The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is gearing up to prevent Facebook from integrating its various services such as WhatsApp and Instagram, reports suggest.
According to a report, FTC plans to file an injunction against Facebook which would effectively prevent the American social media giant from merging its services in any shape or form. The injunction could also block Facebook from enforcing its own rules about how third-party apps work with the platform, the report added.
In order to block Facebook from merging all its services, the Commission will need a motion on this context to be approved by a majority of its five members. Once passed, the FTC will need to file a lawsuit against Facebook and will specifically have to ask the court to impose an injunction on Facebook, which will hold until the trial gets over.
According to a report published in the Wall Street Journal, the FTC is expected to begin this process as early as next month.
Facebook’s plans of integrating its various services such as Instagram, Whatsapp and Facebook Messenger had sparked major concerns amongst its users and policymakers alike over privacy concerns.
A merger of these three services would give Facebook access to an unprecedented amount of user data, which the company has a long-standing tradition of abusing in favour of profits. Despite the Cambridge Analytica expose, the legal framework remains very opaque when it comes to legislation to prevent big tech companies from trading user data.
