On Friday, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

 

THE FTC HAD ARGUED THAT META PLATFORMS INC.'S PURCHASE OF WITHIN UNLIMITED WOULD HURT COMPETITION IN THE MARKET FOR VR FITNESS PRODUCTS./PHOTO: ERIC LEE FOR WSJ On Friday, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) voted to withdraw its remaining effort to block Meta Platforms Inc.'s purchase of Within Unlimited, a VR startup, officially ending the case.  The statement came less than a month after U.S. District Judge Edward Davila ruled against the FTC's request for a court order.  In July 2022, the FTC sued to block the deal, saying it would lessen competition for VR fitness products.  In his January ruling, Judge Davila concluded that the Facebook parent did not have "the available feasible means to enter the relevant market other than by acquisition." The FTC opted against appealing Judge Davila's ruling to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.   Meta has made significant investments in metaverses, a strategic pivot that led to Facebook's parent company changing its name.