Meta faces antitrust trial that could separate Instagram and WhatsApp
Meta has been ordered by a DC District Court Judge to face an antitrust lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The lawsuit accuses Meta of using its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp to establish dominance in the social media industry. The decision comes after Judge James Boasberg initially dismissed the FTC's lawsuit in 2021 but later allowed an amended complaint. Judge Boasberg will meet both parties on November 25 to schedule the trial.
Meta's defense and FTC's persistence
In April, Meta asked Judge Boasberg to dismiss the case, contending that the FTC had already approved both acquisitions. The company also argued that it had invested billions of dollars in both platforms and improved them for the benefit of users worldwide. Despite these arguments, Boasberg has mostly ruled in favor of the FTC while dismissing a claim that Meta acted anti-competitively by restricting developers' access to its API unless they agreed not to compete with its apps.
Meta expresses confidence ahead of trial
Reacting to the court's decision, Meta spokesperson Christopher Sgro said the company is "confident" the trial will show its Instagram and WhatsApp acquisitions were "good" for consumers. "More than 10 years after the FTC reviewed and cleared these deals, and despite the overwhelming evidence that our services compete with YouTube, TikTok, X, Apple's iMessage, and many others, the Commission is wrongly continuing to assert that no deal is ever truly final, and businesses can be punished for innovating," he added.
