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Maine Attorney General Joins Antitrust Lawsuit Against Facebook

Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey is joining a coalition of 48 attorneys general in an antitrust lawsuit against Facebook.

The lawsuit alleges that, over the last decade, the social networking giant has employed predatory and illegal practices to take over competitors and deprive consumers of the benefits that come with competition.

Frey on Wednesday described “free and fair competition” as a “bedrock principle of the American economy.”

He says consumers are negatively impacted when companies like Facebook illegally “stifle” competition. He also alleges that the social network site has reduced privacy protections and diminished quality of service.

The coalition is asking the court to halt Facebook’s illegal activities, restrain the company’s acquisitions worth $10 million or more without advance notice to the plaintiff states and for any appropriate relief.

The complaint was filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.

The Federal Trade Commission also filed a similar complaint against Facebook today.