Facebook, Inc. (FB) Requests Antitrust Probe in Europe Over $19B WhatsApp Deal

Facebook (Nasdaq: FB) might face an antitrust review in Europe over its proposed $19 billion acquisition of messaging service, WhatsApp.

Facebook took the initiative to ask the European Commission to review the deal. Should an official probe be undertaken at the top EU level, Facebook could avoid longer investigations by several EU countries.

The deal is already approved in the U.S.

Facebook's request comes as Europe has pressured tech companies over items like privacy and tax issues as of late. The social network giant is among several U.S. tech companies under investigation for taxes in France, while the EU recently issued a verdict on Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) over privacy concerns.

Shares of Facebook are lower in early trading.

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