The Federal Trade Commission today sued Facebook, alleging that the company is illegally maintaining its personal social networking monopoly through a years-long course of anticompetitive conduct.
sue 起訴；控告
social networking 社交網路
anticompetitive conduct 反競爭的行為
monopoly (n.) 獨佔；壟斷
聯邦貿易委員會今天起訴Facebook，並指控該公司為了維持其個人社交網路的壟斷地位而進行長達數年的非法反競爭行為。
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Following a lengthy investigation in cooperation with a coalition of attorneys general of 46 states, the District of Columbia, and Guam, the complaint alleges that Facebook has engaged in a systematic strategy—including its 2012 acquisition of up-and-coming rival Instagram, its 2014 acquisition of the mobile messaging app WhatsApp, and the imposition of anticompetitive conditions on software developers—to eliminate threats to its monopoly.
a lengthy investigation 漫長的調查
a coalition of ～的聯盟、合作
attorney general 檢察總長
a systematic strategy 系統性的策略
up-and-coming rival 新興的競爭對手
imposition 徵收；強加
anticompetitive conditions 反競爭的條件
software developers 軟體開發人員
eliminate threats 消除威脅
在與46個州、哥倫比亞特區和關島的檢察總長一起合作進行了長時間的調查之後，他們指稱Facebook採取了系統性的策略：它分別在2012年收購了新興的競爭對手Instagram、在2014年收購了手機通訊程式WhatsApp，並為了消除自身壟斷的威脅而對軟體開發人員施加了反競爭條件。
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This course of conduct harms competition, leaves consumers with few choices for personal social networking, and deprives advertisers of the benefits of competition. The FTC is seeking a permanent injunction in federal court that could, among other things: require divestitures of assets, including Instagram and WhatsApp; prohibit Facebook from imposing anticompetitive conditions on software developers; and require Facebook to seek prior notice and approval for future mergers and acquisitions.
course of conduct 行為方式（過程）
harm competition 危害競爭
leaves consumers with few choices 使消費者別無選擇
deprive…the benefits of… 剝奪（…人）…的利益
seek a permanent injunction 尋求永久禁令
a divestiture of assets 資產剝離
prohibit… from… 禁止…去…
seek prior notice 尋求事先通知
future mergers and acquisitions 未來的併購
這種行為方式讓競爭受到損害，促使消費者幾乎無從選擇個人社交網路的機會，並使廣告商失去了競爭優勢。FTC正在向聯邦法院尋求永久性禁令，其中可能包括讓Instagram和WhatsApp脫離Facebook旗下資產、禁止Facebook向軟體開發人員施加反競爭條件，並要求Facebook尋求事先通知和批准以進行未來的合併和收購。
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“Personal social networking is central to the lives of millions of Americans,” said Ian Conner, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition. “Facebook’s actions to entrench and maintain its monopoly deny consumers the benefits of competition. Our aim is to roll back Facebook’s anticompetitive conduct and restore competition so that innovation and free competition can thrive.”
be central to 為～的重心
entrench 使處於牢固地位，使根深柢固
the aim is to 目標是去…
roll back sth 減少; 削弱，限制
anticompetitive conduct 反競爭行為
restore competition 恢復競爭
thrive 蓬勃發展
「個人社交網路是數百萬美國人的生活重心。」 FTC競爭局局長Ian Conner說。 「臉書鞏固和維持其壟斷地位的行為剝奪了消費者競爭的利益。我們的目標是減少臉書的反競爭行為並恢復競爭，進而讓創新和自由競爭得以蓬勃發展。」
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資料來源: 聯邦貿易委員會
https://bit.ly/3m6Za2m
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