Meta Platforms allowed by judge to buy VR company Within in blow to FTC, Lina Khan
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images News

In a blow to the Federal Trade Commission and its Chairwoman Lina Khan, a federal judge ruled on Wednesday that Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) can buy virtual reality company Within Unlimited.
Judge Edward Davila denied the FTC's request to block the transaction, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Judge Davila issued his opinion via a sealed ruling. However, Davila paused the deal by a week to allow the FTC to consider an appeal, the news outlet added.
In July, it was reported that Khan had overruled her staff, which had recommended against suing to stop the proposed $400M transaction. Part of the FTC's complaint touched on Supernatural competing with Meta's own Beat Saber app, a rhythm game where users hit targets in time to music.
Meta (META) and the FTC did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Seeking Alpha.
Last month, Meta (META) delayed closing the deal to buy Within Unlimited, maker of the popular virtual reality fitness game, Supernatural, by one month.
The Mark Zuckerberg-led Meta (META) announced in October 2021 that it had agreed to acquire Within Unlimited, one day after it changed its corporate name from Facebook.
Meta Platforms (META) is slated to report fourth-quarter results after the close of trading on Wednesday.