Facebook's Big Problem

    For the second time within two months, the U.S. government has filed an antitrust lawsuit against the U.S. tech giant. This time, a coalition of U.S. antitrust officials and multiple states sued Facebook, accusing it of violating antitrust laws. The last was in October when the U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Alphabet Inc.'s Google, accusing it of abusing its monopoly on the Internet search to keep competitors out of the market through exclusive distribution agreements with phone makers.

    The Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general, led by New York, said they filed an antitrust lawsuit against Facebook on Wednesday. The lawsuit is the latest development in an investigation that began last year and represents the most serious regulatory challenge in Facebook's history. If the FTC and states succeed proving Facebook violated antitrust laws, a judge could order the company to break up, including separating its main social media platform from Instagram and WhatsApp.