Meta wins legal battle against USFTC to acquire VR company 'Within'

A US judge has granted Meta permission to proceed with the acquisition of VR firm Within despite the US Federal Trade Commission's continuing antitrust complaint against the tech giant (FTC). The court rejected the FTC's request for a preliminary injunction against the acquisition following a seven-day hearing. "After reviewing the evidentiary record and the parties' arguments, the court concludes that it is not "reasonably probable" that Meta would enter the market for VR dedicated fitness apps if it could not consummate the acquisition," read the ruling. The FTC attempted to prevent the acquisition of Within by Meta and Zuckerberg in July of last year since Meta is already a significant player at every level of the VR industry. The agency claimed that Meta and Zuckerberg intended to "illegally buy a dedicated fitness software that illustrates the value of virtual reality to consumers" in order to grow Meta's virtual reality empire. The FTC now has time to appeal after the US court decided in favour of Meta. The well-known fitness software "Supernatural" is a property of the Within VR firm. A-list artists like Katy Perry, Imagine Dragons, Lady Gaga, and Coldplay are featured among the high-caliber workouts available on Supernatural, which are virtually set in stunning, lifelike locations like the Galapagos Islands. As it doubles down on its metaverse ambition in 2023, Meta recently purchased Luxexcel, a manufacturer of 3D smart glass based in the Netherlands.