Key Points
- The FTC is seeking to revive its antitrust lawsuit against Meta.
- The case accuses Meta of creating an illegal monopoly by acquiring Instagram and WhatsApp.
- A federal judge dismissed the case last year, citing competition from TikTok.
- The FTC is not backing down and says its position “has not changed.”
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is not giving up on its fight against Meta. The agency announced on Tuesday that it is seeking to revive its case accusing Facebook’s parent company of creating an illegal monopoly by acquiring Instagram and WhatsApp.
“Meta violated our antitrust laws when it acquired Instagram and WhatsApp,” an FTC spokesperson said. “Consequently, American consumers have suffered from Meta’s monopoly.”
This legal battle has been going on for years. The FTC originally sued Meta in 2020, arguing that the company bought Instagram and WhatsApp to eliminate potential competitors and solidify its dominance in the social media market. The agency wants to force Meta to sell both popular apps to restore competition.
However, a federal judge threw out the case last November, ruling that Meta does not have a monopoly because it now faces “fierce competition” from TikTok.
The FTC’s decision to press on with the case is part of a broader crackdown on Big Tech that began under President Donald Trump during his first term. Despite the legal setback, the agency’s position “has not changed.”
Meta, for its part, is standing by the judge’s original decision. “The District Court’s decision to reject the FTC’s arguments in this matter is correct,” a company spokesperson said. “Meta will remain focused on innovating and investing in America.”
The case will now likely head to an appeals court, where the FTC will try to convince a new set of judges that Meta’s social media empire is indeed an illegal monopoly that needs to be broken up.
