The Federal Trade Commission and 46 states have filed antitrust lawsuits against Facebook. The suits accuse the company of trying to monopolize social media by buying companies such as Instagram and WhatsApp. 

Facebook has promised a vigorous defense. Even though antitrust law is notoriously complicated, but there’s a legitimate chance Facebook could be broken up into smaller, less dominant, pieces.

Facebook wields a level of unaccountable power the world has never seen. They decide what many of us see and don’t see. Their algorithms are masterfully designed to keep users scrolling, often by feeding us content that will exploit our emotions, especially anger. There’s no question Facebook has kept a lot of us connected in wonderful ways. It’s also played a central role in the breakdown of rational discourse and the increase in national division. All this to track your preferences and sell you stuff.