Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, has filed a motion requesting a US federal judge to dismiss the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) antitrust lawsuit.
The FTC has attempted to demonstrate that Meta unlawfully controlled the market for social media platforms used to share updates with friends and family through its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp.
Meta argues in the motion that the commission has not presented enough evidence to prove the purchases were anticompetitive or hurt consumers.
The company maintains that Instagram and WhatsApp have since prospered after its acquisition, receiving major investments and advancements in security and features. Meta also disputes the FTC’s market definition, arguing that the likes of TikTok, YouTube, and Reddit are major competitors that compete for people’s attention.
Meta challenges FTC’s market definition
Antitrust analyst Justin Teresi, who followed most of the trial, estimated that Meta has a 60% chance of beating the allegations. Meta argued that the FTC failed to clearly differentiate TikTok from so-called “friends-and-family” apps like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat—claiming it had to mimic TikTok just to stay competitive.
The company also emphasized that all social platforms compete for users’ attention by showcasing the most engaging user-generated content, including Meta’s own apps, which puts them all in direct competition.
In response, the Federal Trade Commission stated that platforms like X, TikTok, YouTube, and Reddit, where users broadcast content to strangers based on common interests, were not interchangeable.
The case would conclude more quickly if Meta’s request for a ruling based on the current evidence was granted. However, James Boasberg, a US District Judge, may decide not to pursue it. The trial may continue into June, and Meta is now presenting its own evidence.
The FTC and Meta are expected to file final briefs and make closing arguments once the company has completed presenting evidence if Boasberg rejects Meta’s request.
Additionally, If the judge determines that Meta has an unlawful monopoly, the matter will proceed to the second trial to determine the best course of action. An FTC representative did not immediately answer a request for comment.
FTC: Acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp were anti-competitive
Meta Platforms Inc. was already halfway through the antitrust trial, which would decide whether the company was an illegal monopoly. In support of its claim that the social networking giant should be dismantled, the US Federal Trade Commission had spent the last four weeks presenting internal documents and emails and questioning several Meta executives, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
Furthermore, the testimony of Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom provided an intriguing glimpse into the messy union and ultimate merging of the Instagram and Facebook teams. Zuckerberg, according to Systrom, “starved” his app of resources, including in crucial areas like combatting offensive content.
The reason behind this, as per Systrom, is that Zuckerberg was envious of Instagram’s success and was concerned that the app he bought would eventually surpass the one he created in terms of popularity.
However, according to evidence presented during the trial, Zuckerberg was aware before the deal was finalized that WhatsApp had no intention of growing to compete with Facebook as a social network, Meta said during the trial. Additionally, Meta said the testimony revealed that Instagram expanded following the acquisition.
Although Zuckerberg and other Meta associates have provided strong testimony regarding app enhancements and other advantages that might eventually be determined to outweigh any harm, the FTC has undoubtedly made progress in its attempt to demonstrate that Meta’s acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp were anti-competitive.
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