Source: BBC News [UK State Media]
“A trial in the landmark antitrust case against social media giant Meta kicks off in Washington on Monday. The US competition and consumer watchdog alleges that Meta, which already owned Facebook, bought Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014 to eliminate competition, effectively giving itself a monopoly. The FTC reviewed and approved those acquisitions but committed to monitor the outcomes. If the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) wins the case it could force Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to sell off both Instagram and WhatsApp. Meta previously said it was sure it would win and experts have told the BBC it is likely to argue that Instagram users have had a better experience since it was taken over. ‘The [FTC’s] argument is the acquisition of Instagram was a way of neutralizing this rising competitive threat to Facebook,’ says Rebecca Haw Allensworth, a professor of antitrust at Vanderbilt Law School.” (04/14/25)