FTC challenges Meta’s dominance in social media trial
The FTC says Instagram might have become a major competitor if it stayed independent.
Mark Zuckerberg has defended Meta’s high-profile acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp during testimony in a major antitrust trial brought by the US Federal Trade Commission.
On the stand for a second day, the Meta CEO admitted the company could have developed its own rival to Instagram, but noted that building successful apps is extremely difficult.
Emails presented by the FTC showed Zuckerberg expressing concern about Instagram’s rapid growth in 2012 and WhatsApp’s dominance in messaging before both were bought by Meta.
The FTC argues that Meta unfairly stifled competition by acquiring its closest rivals instead of innovating independently. It is pushing for the breakup of Meta, saying that platforms like Instagram might have become major standalone competitors.
Zuckerberg, however, claimed that competition in the social media space remains intense, pointing to platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, and X. He insisted that Instagram was acquired mainly for its advanced camera technology, not to eliminate a competitor.
Emails from 2018 suggest that Zuckerberg anticipated future regulatory scrutiny and even considered the possibility of spinning off the company’s acquisitions.
The antitrust trial, set to last several weeks, will feature testimony from key industry figures including Sheryl Sandberg and Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom. If the court rules in favour of the FTC, a second phase will determine how to dismantle the alleged monopoly.
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