Summary
A judge ruled that Meta does not have a monopoly in social networking, allowing the company to keep Instagram and WhatsApp. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) claimed that Meta maintained its monopoly by buying potential competitors, but the court found that this was not currently true.
Key Facts
- A U.S. District Judge ruled that Meta does not hold a monopoly in social networking.
- The court ruling means Meta can keep Instagram and WhatsApp.
- The FTC argued that Meta maintained its market power through acquisitions.
- CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified that buying Instagram was not merely to eliminate competition.
- The technology and social media landscape has changed substantially since 2020.
- TikTok is now seen as a major competitor to Meta’s platforms.
- The case did not consider newer social platforms like TikTok in earlier 2021 and 2022 dismissals.
- Facebook bought Instagram in 2012 for $1 billion and WhatsApp in 2014 for $22 billion.
