US FTC probes Facebook’s acquisition practices: Report

The US Federal Trade Commission is investigating whether Facebook Inc acquisitions were aimed at buying up potential rivals before they could become a threat to the social media company, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The company’s acquisition practices are the main focus of the probe, as the FTC looks into Facebook buying technology-based startups to keep them from challenging it, the report said. Facebook has purchased dozens of companies over the years, including messaging company WhatsApp and image sharing platform Instagram.