The company petitioned the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to remove Lina Khan “from participating in any decisions concerning whether and how to continue FTC’s antitrust case against the company.” (The Logic)

Talking point: The company argued that public statements Khan made prior to her appointment, when as legal scholar she established a profile as an expert on antitrust, “consistently” disapproved of Facebook’s conduct and show she believes its behaviour “meets the elements of an antitrust offense.” The company “vigorously disputes” her assertions and claims she cannot consider decisions about Facebook with an open mind. The company’s petition comes weeks after a similar one from Amazon. Khan may have to deal with Facebook’s request quickly, though, as the FTC must decide, within 30 days of a June 28 ruling, whether to bring a new antitrust lawsuit against the company. Meanwhile, Facebook announced it would put more than US$1 billion by the end of 2022 into programs paying creators for content on its namesake platform and Instagram. It’s an attempt to win favour with influencers, who have flocked to TikTok and YouTube, where it’s been easier to make money.