US House panel taps defunct startup for Facebook files

The House Judiciary Committee has requested Facebook files from a defunct startup that critics of the social media company say show it unfairly used its power to take out competing companies.

The committee is asking for all filings relating to the startup Six4Three’s lawsuit against Facebook, including thousands of internal Facebook documents and emails, The Associated Press reported. The documents were previously sealed by a California judge.

The documents associated with Six4Three could bring new light to the debate about the social media mogul’s competitive strategies and whether they are overreaching, according to the AP.

Critics say the documents suggest that Facebook narrowed access to user data from certain apps that competed against the company.

Several hundred pages of the documents have already been made public after British officials requested them from Six4Three Managing Director Ted Kramer.

Kramer claims that Facebook destroyed Six4Three’s startup by limiting access to user data. The startup app called Pikinis found swimsuit photos from users’ friends on Facebook, the AP reported.