WASHINGTON—The Federal Trade Commission filed a new version of its antitrust lawsuit against Facebook Inc. on Thursday, seeking to jump-start its case with bolstered allegations that the company is abusing a monopoly position in social media.
The FTC voted 3-2 along party lines to file the amended lawsuit, with Chairwoman Lina Khan participating in the agency’s deliberations and supporting the new complaint. The commission denied Facebook’s request that Ms. Khan, a Democrat, be recused because of her past criticism of big tech companies.
The FTC’s amended complaint comes after a federal judge in June dismissed the agency’s original lawsuit, saying it didn’t make sufficient allegations to support claims that Facebook engaged in unlawful monopolization.
With its new, 80-page lawsuit, the FTC seeks to tell a longer, more detailed story about why it believes Facebook is a dominant force that uses its power to hobble any rival that might threaten its market position.
The FTC’s core allegations remain the same as its original complaint from December: that Facebook unlawfully sought to suppress competition by buying up potential rivals such as the messaging platform WhatsApp and image-sharing app Instagram. The commission is seeking to unwind those deals.
