The Wall Street Journal reported that a U.S. judge refused to call off Meta’s deal to buy virtual reality startup Within, and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) failed to block the deal, according to sources familiar with the matter.
In a confidential court ruling, California Judge Edward Davila denied the FTC’s request for an injunction to block the acquisition, people familiar with the matter said.
The FTC can continue to try to block the deal through a separate lawsuit filed in internal administrative court, which is scheduled to begin on Feb. 13, the U.S. media noted. But the FTC has often dropped such administrative actions in the past after judges have denied requests for injunctions.
The FTC sued Meta last July to stop its acquisition of Within, arguing that Meta had been planning a “VR conquest campaign” since it bought Oculus in 2014. The case went to trial in December last year.
