Meta Faces Antitrust Trial Over Instagram, WhatsApp Acquisitions - Articles

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Meta Faces Antitrust Trial Over Instagram, WhatsApp Acquisitions

Posted by: Azya Thornton on Apr 14, 2025

Facebook parent Meta Platforms faces trial in Washington, D.C., starting this week on claims it built an illegal social media monopoly by spending billions to acquire Instagram and WhatsApp, Reuters reports. The case, filed during President Donald Trump’s first term, alleges Meta bought the companies a decade ago to eliminate competition among social media platforms where users connect with friends and family. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is seeking to force Meta to restructure or sell parts of its business, including Instagram and WhatsApp. Meta has argued in court filings that its acquisitions of Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014 have benefited users, and it plans to point to increased traffic on its platforms during TikTok’s brief U.S. shutdown in January as evidence of continued competition. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to take the stand during the trial, which could extend into July. If the FTC prevails, it would need to prove in a second trial that breaking up Meta’s business would restore market competition. The case is one of five in which the FTC and U.S. Department of Justice have accused major tech companies — including Amazon, Apple and Google — of maintaining illegal monopolies.