Florida joins antitrust probe on Facebook

TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami / NSF)

Florida State Attorney Ashley Moody is part of a coalition of attorneys general from across the country investigating Facebook for possible antitrust violations.

New York Attorney General Letitia James on Friday announced the probe, which also includes Attorneys for Attorneys General from Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee and the District of Columbia.

A news release from James & # 39; s office says that the investigation focuses on Facebook's dominance in the social media industry and possible anti-competitive behavior.

"I am proud to lead a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general in investigating whether Facebook has stifled competition and put users at risk," James said in a prepared statement.

"We will use every survey tool available to determine whether Facebook's actions may have endangered consumer data, reduced the quality of consumer choices, or eased the price of advertising."

In a statement cited by a number of news organizations, Will said Castleberry, a Facebook vice president, said the company would work with lawyers in general, and "we want a conversation with policy makers about the competitive environment in which we operate."