anti-trust

A federal judge has dismissed two blockbuster antitrust complaints against Facebook, in a setback to federal and state prosecutors who were pushing for a break-up of the social media giant.

As March Madness heads into its final days, college athletes are playing on a different kind of court: the Supreme Court. On Wednesday the justices heard arguments in a case testing whether the NCAA's limits on compensation for student athletes violate the nation's antitrust laws.

The state and federal officials say Facebook's acquisitions of WhatsApp and Instagram violated competition laws and served to stifle rivals by giving the social network an unfair advantage.

The antitrust lawsuit against Google is the most significant action the federal government has taken against a technology company in two decades. Google calls the lawsuit "deeply flawed."

The proposed merger "is not reasonably likely to substantially lessen competition" in the mobile wireless market, the judge said. The deal would unite the nation's third- and fourth-largest carriers.