FTC might stop Facebook from integrating it's messaging apps

Reportedly, the Federal Trade Commission(FTC) might put a roadblock on Facebook's plans to merge it's messaging apps.

The Wall Street Journal reports FTC is contemplating seeking a preliminary injunction against Facebook Inc. over antitrust concerns and if they do, they would focus on Facebook’s policies concerning how it integrates its apps or allows them to work with potential rivals.

Mark Zuckerberg had announced his plan on building 'one great property of messaging services' which integrates messaging services including SMS in March 2019.

According to Facebook and The Order's settlement in July 2019 subjecting FTC’s investigations, "The provisions of this Order extinguish the ability of Mr. Zuckerberg to make privacy decisions unilaterally by also vesting responsibility and accountability for those decisions within business units, DCOs, and the privacy committee".

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Although as mentioned in the settlement too, the decision does not remove Zuckerberg’s power to control Facebook’s Board of Directors.

Facebook has been under intense and continuous scrutiny in recent times, with the FTC investigations and Congress Hearings subjecting political advertising on the platform.

The Order imposes a more rigorous compliance monitoring now, and The Verge reports The Justice Department also has the authority to enforce antitrust law and is currently probing the tech industry for anti-competitive behavior.

We might see Facebook go through a few obstacles before they build a consolidated messaging platform, but there are more chances of the platform, not seeing the light of the day.