A U.S. district judge in Washington has ruled that Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, did not violate antitrust laws with its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp more than a decade ago.
The ruling marks a setback for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which filed a lawsuit against Meta in 2020, alleging that the company secured a monopoly in social media by purchasing emerging rivals. In his decision, Judge James Boasberg wrote, “The Court ultimately concludes that the agency has not carried its burden: Meta holds no monopoly in the relevant market.”
Meta welcomed the ruling, telling the BBC that it “recognizes that Meta faces fierce competition.” The company highlighted the evolving competition from platforms such as TikTok and YouTube, citing a changing social media environment where trends shift rapidly and new apps regularly emerge.
Judge Boasberg noted that the FTC had previously reviewed and approved Meta’s 2012 acquisition of Instagram for $1 billion and its 2014 purchase of WhatsApp for $19 billion. He described the social media landscape as “constantly changing,” with platforms rising and fading in popularity. Even if Meta once held significant market power, the judge said the FTC failed to show that it still does today, observing that “Meta’s market share seems to be shrinking.
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