Lyra Martin Tech 08.24.2022 06:Aug AM EDT

FTC Removes Mark Zuckerberg From an Antitrust Complaint Blocking Meta's Acquisition of Within Unlimited

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said in a document that after Meta CEO committed not to personally control Within Unlimited, it had agreed to drop him as a defendant.

FTC Drops Mark Zuckerberg From Antitrust Case

Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, has been dropped as a defendant in an antitrust case that seeks to stop the company's purchase of virtual reality firm Within Unlimited by the FTC.

In a document submitted to a federal court in Northern California, the agency claimed that it had agreed to drop Zuckerberg as a defendant after the CEO of the business that owns Facebook committed to refraining from trying to buy Within Unlimited personally.

In July, the FTC sued to stop Meta from buying Within Unlimited, which makes the VR workout program Supernatural. The FTC argued Meta would have an unlawfully dominant position in virtual reality after the October deal.

Like Apple Fitness Plus, Supernatural works with an Apple Watch to monitor heart rate as you exercise. Supernatural imitates Meta's popular fitness VR music game Beat Saber by combining motion-tracked training regimens (boxing was just included).

Zuckerberg places a lot of emphasis on VR. In order to better represent its goal of being a leader in the metaverse, a collection of virtual worlds where people may work, play, and socialize, Facebook changed its name to Meta last year.

The FTC's legal action stems from President Biden's appointment of Lina Khan as FTC head, who focuses on antitrust in Big Tech. Meta wanted Zuckerberg excluded since the FTC suit was based on ideology and presumption, not proof. A spokesperson for Meta declined to comment on the matter.

Mark Zuckerberg Released a New Avatar After Receiving Harsh Criticisms on His Previous One

After posting a frightening, dead-eyed version was widely criticized, CEO Mark Zuckerberg introduced a fresh, youthful metaverse avatar on August 19.

Zuckerberg also pledged to give Horizon Worlds, Meta's metaverse platform that has come under fire for looking cheap, a significant visual upgrade. To announce that Horizon Worlds has started to play in France and Spain, Zuckerberg posted a photo of his Facebook avatar in front of the Eiffel Tower on August 16.

The picture was quickly mocked on social media, with some people comparing the aesthetics to those of 2007's Second Life and 1990s video games like Zelda and Quake.

The CEO acknowledged that the avatar he released on August 16 was simple and that it had been created fast to commemorate the launch in France and Spain in an Instagram post on August 19 that showed off his new appearance. In an apparent effort to calm his fans, he also uploaded a screenshot of a better-looking Horizon Worlds.

What the metaverse is capable of is often questioned, particularly as a substitute for face-to-face interaction. Mark Cuban, a multibillionaire businessman, has questioned the idea of trading in virtual properties in the metaverse. Zuckerberg anticipated that the company's metaverse project would incur significant losses over the next five years earlier this year.

This year, as Facebook's user base has shrunk and worries about the company's expensive excursion into the metaverse have grown, the value of the meta stock has dropped by 50%. The company ceased hiring once the sales boom stopped in May.