Zuckerberg Battles FTC in Historic Trial Over Alleged Meta Monopoly
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, took the stand this week in a high-stakes antitrust trial that could reshape the future of social media in the United States. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) accuses Meta of building an unlawful monopoly through its acquisitions of Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014—and is now pushing for a court-ordered breakup of the tech giant.
The trial, which began on Monday in Washington, D.C., marks one of the most significant regulatory challenges Meta has ever faced. The FTC argues that Meta’s strategy was to eliminate competition rather than innovate, citing internal emails from Zuckerberg describing Instagram as a growing threat to Facebook’s dominance.
“They chose to buy out their rivals instead of competing,” said FTC lawyer Daniel Matheson, referencing a 2012 memo in which Zuckerberg talked about “neutralizing” Instagram.
Zuckerberg, appearing in a dark suit and blue tie, denied any intent to squash competition. Instead, he defended Meta’s acquisitions as strategic moves to improve user experience, saying Instagram was bought for its camera technology, not its social network potential.
The FTC wants the court to force Meta to divest Instagram and WhatsApp, a decision that could drastically reshape the social media landscape. Meta’s legal team hit back, calling the lawsuit “misguided,” especially since the FTC initially approved both deals.
“These were legal, well-documented acquisitions that benefited users by enhancing products,” argued Meta attorney Mark Hansen.
The trial is expected to run through July, during which more top Meta executives and FTC officials will testify. Legal analysts say the FTC faces an uphill battle, especially given Meta’s defense that today’s social media market is more competitive than ever, citing rivals like TikTok, YouTube, and X (formerly Twitter).
Meanwhile, Meta continues to walk a political tightrope. The company has made peace overtures to President Trump, including a $1 million donation to his inaugural fund and a recent settlement paying $25 million to resolve a lawsuit over Trump’s social media ban after the January 6 Capitol riot.
Zuckerberg has also reportedly lobbied Trump directly to drop the FTC case—though Meta has declined to confirm this, only stating:
“The FTC’s lawsuits against Meta defy reality.”
The case comes at a time of heightened scrutiny over Big Tech’s power. The Department of Justice is also pursuing Google over its search monopoly, while Amazon and Apple are under separate antitrust investigations.
But legal experts say the FTC’s case against Meta may be tougher to prove.
“Compared to search, social media has more players. That weakens the monopoly argument,” said Prof. Laura Phillips-Sawyer of the University of Georgia.
Still, the outcome could have lasting consequences—not just for Meta, but for how tech giants operate in a rapidly evolving digital age.
