The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and a 48-state group of attorneys general filed two antitrust lawsuits against Facebook Inc, CNBC reported.

The charges are linked to the company's acquisition of the WhatsApp and Instagram apps and could force it to sell these assets. Facebook shares on Wednesday, December 9, fell 1.9%.

The lawsuits claim that the company has anti-competitive behavior. It is alleged that Facebook is using its market power, acquiring small products, and thereby suppressing potential competitors before they can become worthy rivals.

Facebook, in turn, opposed the lawsuits, calling them revisionist strategies for two major acquisitions (WhatsApp and Instagram), which the US government approved a few years ago.