Meta to buy VR startup Within after favorable court ruling

By BARBARA ORTUTAY
AP Technology Writer

A federal judge has sided with Facebook parent Meta and cleared the way for the company to buy virtual reality startup Within Unlimited, the maker of the popular fitness app Supernatural. Federal antitrust regulators had sought to block the acquisition on the grounds that it would  hurt competition in the emerging virtual reality market. But U.S. District Judge Edward Davila denied the Federal Trade Commission’s request for a preliminary injunction against the deal. The judge’s ruling unsealed late Friday says the agency did not provide sufficient evidence to prove its case. Meta says it now will proceed with its acquisition of the company.