US, Meta antitrust trial date causes stir

US regulators and Meta Platforms are at odds over when to start a high-profile antitrust trial, with the Federal Trade Commission proposing December 2023 and the Facebook parent company asking for more time.

According to a joint filing in the US District Court in Washington late on Tuesday, the FTC proposed a Dec 11, 2023, start date to allow time for discovery, including document and data production.

Representatives for Meta, which includes Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, called the proposed schedule “unrealistic as well as unfair to Meta” and said it needed until Feb 13, 2024, to complete discovery. CNA