Today, documents released by the UK Parliament provided a largely unprecedented, firsthand look inside Facebook. In the documents, executives can be seen responding to the threat of competitors, debating how to handle users’ data, and discussing major changes to its business model. In all, the cache shows a fact about Facebook that’s widely understood, but only occasionally detailed: its decisions have tremendous consequences for businesses that rely on it. The documents are shedding new light on Facebook’s market power, and some experts and lawmakers are already accusing the company of breaking anti-monopoly law through its aggressive control of its platform.

In the documents, companies can be seen pleading with executives after the…

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