Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg took the stand Monday in a high-stakes Federal Trade Commission (FTC) antitrust trial, defending the company’s acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp.
- The FTC argues that Meta bought competitors to maintain monopoly power, rather than competing fairly, and is pushing for a possible breakup of the tech giant’s social media empire.
- A court-ordered spinoff of WhatsApp and Instagram could upend Meta’s business, which relies heavily on its unified platform of 3.3 billion daily users and over $160 billion in annual ad revenue.
- Zuckerberg defended the deals, claiming Meta faces robust competition and that regulators had approved the acquisitions when they occurred in 2012 (Instagram) and 2014 (WhatsApp).
- A 2011 email from Zuckerberg cited in court revealed Meta’s motive for buying Instagram—acknowledging it had become a “viable competitor” in mobile photos as Facebook Camera lagged.
- The FTC alleges Meta’s dominance limits consumer choice, arguing that the social media market offers few viable alternatives for users and advertisers.
- Zuckerberg acknowledged a shift in Facebook’s mission, stating the platform had become more about “interest” (content and groups) than “friends,” but maintained both aspects still matter.
- Messaging was a focal point of the FTC’s questioning, as it seeks to define Meta’s market control. Zuckerberg said messaging is “symbiotic” to Meta’s content-sharing ecosystem.
- A 2022 internal discussion among Meta executives, including Zuckerberg, acknowledged concerns about Facebook’s declining cultural relevance compared to Instagram and TikTok.
- If the FTC prevails, it would mark a historic antitrust ruling, potentially reshaping the U.S. tech landscape and setting precedent for how regulators approach Big Tech mergers.
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