The enormously consequential impact Facebook makes on the world's data center and digital infrastructure operations means that every twist and turn in its ongoing legal saga with US, European, and other global regulators is of importance. The latest in the US favored the company, with an appellate court ruling that a large group of states have waited to long to try to reinstate an antitrust lawsuit against the company.

The action was led by the State of New York and joined by dozens of other states. A three-judge panel from the court said, “the States were on notice of Facebook’s two major acquisitions (of Instagram and WhatsApp). Both were publicized,” the court added, noting the states “had waited too long” to bring their complaint.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the states had petitioned the court in 2020 to order Facebook to sell both Instagram and WhatsApp on antitrust grounds. The FTC case remains in progress. The data centers continue to whir throughout the days and nights.

Photo from Library of Congress.