Snapchat has kept Facebook files called "Project Voldemort", according to a report

Facebook did not hesitate to copy the features made popular by Snapchat and add them to Instagram and its other applications. Apparently, Snap, the parent company of the Snapchat app, has been following the evolution of Facebook's competition in a folder called "Project Voldemort".

The Voldemort project – a wink at the dark wizard and the main antagonist of the Harry Potter book series – contains files that chronicle Facebook's "uncompromising tactics," according to a report released Monday by The Wall Street Journal. Some of these tactics included discouraging influencers from mentioning Snap on their Instagram accounts and preventing Snap's content from following trends on Instagram, according to the Journal, citing "people close to the project".

Reading in progress:
Look at this:

Facebook can hide "like" account after he's got us all hooked

1:53

The Voldemort project was discovered as part of a antitrust investigation by the Federal Trade Commission in Facebook's business practices. The FTC is engaging with several current and former Facebook competitors as part of its investigation, according to the newspaper.

In July, Facebook confirmed that the FTC had opened an antitrust investigation against the company. The investigation was revealed the same day the FTC announced that it was hitting Facebook of a record $ 5 billion fine for its past privacy incidents.

Facebook is not just the subject of an antitrust investigation by the FTC. In June, the House Antitrust Subcommittee announced the opening of a survey on Facebook, Google and other technology companies. Attorneys General of several states and Washington DC also partnered to investigate the social network in the face of potential antitrust violations.

Facebook and Snap have not responded to requests for comments.

Originally released Sept. 23 at 9:15 am Pacific Time.
Update, 17:11 PT: Adds information on other antitrust investigations on Facebook.