Meta’s fate depends on the balance of this case, and could be forced to sell some of its biggest properties.
The fate of social media giant Meta, the leading company of billionaire Mark Zuckerberg, is on the line as a trial begins in Washington on Monday to determine if the tech giant is violating antitrust laws.
The Federal Trade Commission, which spent the last six years investigating the meta, is expected to argue that Meta’s Instagram and WhatsApp acquisitions created an illegal monopoly over social networking in front of US district judge James Boasberg.
In Meta’s worst-case scenario, it could be forced to sell both subsidiaries on a breakup of breakup on a scale not seen since the AT&T phone empire was demolished over 40 years ago.
Here’s what you need to know about the most important trials in Meta’s history:
Trial
The case is being held at the E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse, just a few hundred yards away from the US Capitol.
This is a bench trial. This means that only Boasberg decides the outcome, not the ju ruling. It has an extraordinary impact on the future of one of the world’s most powerful corporations.
FTC claims
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigation into the company was launched during President Donald Trump’s first term and was actively pursued under President Joe Biden.
FTC has been having problems with the 2012 image-based app Instagram purchase and the 2014 WhatsApp purchase.
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During the trial, the FTC is expected to argue that Meta’s purchase of the two platforms is part of a calculated effort to “buy or fill” potential rivals on Facebook.
FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson said his agency is not only “failing to go” to Meta, but will end the case according to a legal order from the president.
Meta response
Meta consistently denied allegations of operating illegal monopolies, claiming that the FTC case is outdated and a step away from the reality of the current market.
A Meta spokesman said in a statement in the Epoch Times that the acquisition was approved by regulators at the time and that the company has always been operating competitively. He cited the presence of competitors such as Tiktok, YouTube, X, and Imessage.
A spokesperson said the lawsuit “ignores reality” and that if Boasberg is on the side of the FTC, he would send a message saying “the transaction is not really final.”
The company also suggests that dismantling the integrated platform will hurt users who have come to rely on interconnected services and shared backend systems.
Since Trump was elected for a second term, Zuckerberg has visited Mar-a-Lago to end the company’s controversial fact-checking efforts, repeating diversity and comprehensive programs, and deploying the company with GOP-friendly executives.
The Epoch Times reached out to the FTC for further comment but did not receive a response every time the publication time.
“Creaking Contrust Perdents”
Boasberg has heard of years of pretrial moves in this case, revealing that he has not been sold entirely in government debates.
He abandoned the original FTC submission in 2021, citing the lack of a clear market definition. He has allowed the revised lawsuit to continue, but he continues to express his skepticism, warning for the last few months that the FTC’s claims “tighten the country’s creaking antitrust precedent.”
Antitrust laws and litigation are one of the most labyrinth areas of federal law.
Boasberg gave both sides the opportunity to argue in court. The witness list includes Zuckerberg himself, former chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg, and executives from rival platforms such as Tiktok and Snapchat.
The trial is expected to last until the summer and could arrive by July.
Samantha Fromm contributed to this report.
