Washington: A landmark antitrust trial in Washington could reshape the social media landscape, with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) seeking to break up Meta Platforms Inc. by forcing the divestiture of Instagram and WhatsApp. The trial marks one of the most consequential challenges to Big Tech’s dominance in years and could significantly alter Meta’s corporate structure if regulators prevail.
FTC Accuses Meta of Crushing Competition
At the heart of the FTC’s case is the allegation that Meta, formerly known as Facebook, engaged in anti-competitive behavior by acquiring Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014. According to the FTC, these acquisitions were not motivated by a desire to improve service offerings, but rather by a calculated effort to neutralize emerging competition and secure Meta’s dominance in the social networking market.
Legal analysts suggest that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s internal communications may be pivotal in the proceedings. “Better to buy than compete,” one of his past remarks, could be used by prosecutors to illustrate a pattern of monopolistic intent. Professor Rebecca Haw Allensworth of Vanderbilt Law School told the BBC that such internal emails could prove crucial to the FTC’s case.
Meta Defends Its Acquisitions
Meta is expected to mount a robust defense, arguing that its acquisitions enabled Instagram and WhatsApp to evolve into industry-leading platforms. The company insists that these deals brought significant benefits to users and helped grow both services through technological and infrastructural investments.
In a statement to the BBC, Meta said the FTC’s actions “defy reality” and warned that the agency’s challenge undermines confidence in business transactions, adding that the move “sends a message that no deal is ever truly final.”
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A Case Entangled in Politics
Though initially filed under the Trump administration, the case could become increasingly politicized if Donald Trump secures a second term. Reports suggest Zuckerberg directly lobbied Trump to intervene in the case, and the former president’s dismissal of two Democratic FTC commissioners has sparked concerns about political interference in the work of independent regulatory bodies.
Legal Headwinds for the FTC
Despite the gravity of the case, legal experts believe the FTC faces an uphill battle. Unlike the DOJ’s case against Google, where market dominance is more clear-cut, Meta operates in a more fragmented digital landscape with significant competition from TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, and other platforms. These competitive dynamics may make it more difficult to prove monopoly power.
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Still, a win for the FTC could lead to a historic dismantling of Meta’s integrated empire, sending shockwaves through the tech sector and setting a precedent for future regulatory actions. The trial is expected to last several weeks, with high-profile testimonies anticipated from Mark Zuckerberg and former Meta Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg.
