Editor's Pick: Facebook faces the heat

The Hindu Newsletter - Newsletter - subject [The Hindu Logo]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Youtube]( [Linkedin]( [Instagram]( Friday 11, December 2020 [alt_text]( Editor's Pick Facebook faces the heat [alt_text]( (The Editor's Pick is a new newsletter from The Hindu that provides a snapshot of the most important stories from today's edition of our newspaper, along with a note from our top editors on why we chose to give prominence to these stories.) Social media giant Facebook has been slapped with two lawsuits in the U.S. over its [anti-competition practices](and privacy concerns. The lawsuits say that the $800-billion company eliminated competition by buying them up. The lawsuits -- one by a grouping of 46 States and the other by the Federal Trade Commission -- argue that Facebook properties like Instagram and WhatsApp should be spun off as separate companies to end the company's dominance in social media. The lawsuits against Facebook are the second lot in recent months against major big tech firms, signalling a concerted move against them by the U.S. government. [Google is also currently facing lawsuits in the U.S.]( citing antitrust laws, which are meant to protect and encourage healthy competition in the market so that consumers benefit. While Facebook and Google are spread across the globe and their activities impact nearly all countries including India, a legal move in the U.S. is significant as these companies and their executives are based there. It is also significant that the move against Facebook has the backing of Republicans and Democrats, at a time when the U.S. is facing deep political divisions. However, these lawsuits might not see a quick resolution due to several reasons. Facebook's large acquisitions were cleared by the government earlier and the antitrust laws in the U.S. date back to the industrial era and its provisions may not suit the current technological era. The law is designed to look at whether consumers have been harmed, especially in the prices they have to pay -- and Facebook does not charge people to use its products. The lawsuits, however, seemed to have factored this in by pegging consumer harm to privacy issues. Facebook's messy handling of privacy has been in the news for several years now, ever since it was shown that user data taken from Facebook may have been used to influence U.S. elections in 2016 and the Brexit vote.Large technological firms such as Google, Facebook and Amazon, which were once lauded for the innovations they fostered, are now facing the heat as the power they wield increases. Facebook is of particular interest since it controls platforms that billions of people use daily to communicate. This is what makes the story important. Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Head over to our newsletter subscription page to sign up for Editor's Pick and more. [Click here]( The Big Story [Dilli Chalo | Government asks farmer unions to reconsider its proposal]( [alt_text]( From the Front Page [alt_text]( [India ‘totally’ responsible for LAC situation: China]( [alt_text]( [CBSE exam dates yet to be decided, says Education Minister]( From the Opinion Pages [alt_text]( [All is now fair in India’s ailing pedagogic spaces]( [alt_text]( [The right political moves in Telangana]( Today's Editorials [True to its name: On drugs regul]( [Grain and chaff: On farmer prote]( You are receiving this email because you are a user of [thehindu.com]( If you do not wish to receive any such emails, [unsubscribe here.](mailto:rm-0b42agdubf2f90kaup33rtbysa8hkhy@newsalert.thehindu.com?subject=Unsubscribe&body=You will be unsubscribed from our mailing list.) To ensure you continue to receive emails from The Hindu in your inbox, please add newsletters.th@newsalert.thehindu.com to your contact. If you can't see the mailer, please [click here.]( Group Sites [The Hindu]( | [இந்து தமிழ் திசை]( | [Business Line]( | [BL on Campus]( | [Sportstar]( | [Frontline]( | [The Hindu Centre]( | [Images]( | [roofandfloor]( | [Classifieds]( Copyright @ 2020 ,THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. [About Us]( | [Contact Us]( | [Digital Subscription](