Meta wins antitrust case against FTC, retains control of Instagram and WhatsApp

New Delhi: A federal judge ruled on Tuesday that Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, did not violate the US antitrust laws through its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp, rejecting the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) bid to force the company to divest the popular apps.

US District Judge James Boasberg, in an 89-page decision, determined that the FTC failed to prove Meta holds a monopoly in the social networking market, pointing to robust competition from platforms like TikTok, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), and others.

The ruling marks the first major win for Meta in a series of antitrust challenges and deals a blow to government efforts to unwind past tech mergers.

The case, filed by the FTC in 2020 during the first Trump administration, accused Meta of engaging in a "buy or bury" strategy to stifle emerging rivals. Meta acquired Instagram in 2012 for $1 billion and WhatsApp in 2014 for $19 billion, moves the agency argued were designed to eliminate potential threats rather than foster innovation.

At the time, the FTC had reviewed and approved both deals, but later revisited them amid growing scrutiny of Big Tech's market power.

The non-jury trial began in April 2025 and concluded in late May, with testimony highlighting internal Meta communications, including a 2008 email from CEO Mark Zuckerberg stating, "it is better to buy than compete."

However, Judge Boasberg sided with Meta's defense that the acquisitions provided resources to nascent apps and that the social media landscape has evolved significantly, shifting away from personal sharing toward broader entertainment and video content.

This decision comes amid a broader US antitrust push against tech giants, which has seen mixed results. The Department of Justice recently secured victories against Google's monopolies in search and online advertising, while cases against Amazon and Apple remain ongoing.