Facebook owner Meta Platforms has delayed the closing date for its acquisition of app developer Within, as it continues to face US federal lawyers in court.
Meta is facing accusations from the US Federal Trade Commission of buying its way to dominance and suggested in court that the takeover will not be completed before 31 January.
The social media group had previously agreed to delay the takeover until New Year’s Eve given the government’s legal challenge of the deal, which was filed in July.
Meta's buyout of Within, a virtual reality fitness app developer, is allegedly part of a string of acquisitions designed to engulf start-ups before they became competitors, the FTC has argued.
Meta’s previous buyouts of Instagram and WhatsApp have been cited as examples by the FTC.
Federal lawyer Abby Dennis suggested the company could have used “its vast resources and capabilities” to build its own apps.