The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has taken Meta to court, claiming the company holds too much power in the social media world. The FTC says Meta’s past purchases of Instagram (2012) and WhatsApp (2014) were meant to block competition, not to improve its services.
The FTC’s Main Demand
The FTC wants Meta to separate from Instagram or WhatsApp. According to them, Meta became too dominant by buying rising competitors rather than facing them in the market. They believe this has hurt fair competition.
Zuckerberg’s Court Appearance
Mark Zuckerberg appeared in a Washington DC federal court on Monday. Dressed in a dark suit and light blue tie, he was the first witness in the trial, which is expected to last two months.
What Did Zuckerberg Say?
Zuckerberg defended the company’s decisions. He said early emails about Instagram were just internal discussions. He also stated that Meta bought Instagram mainly for its camera features—not to remove a competitor.
FTC Uses Zuckerberg’s Old Emails
The FTC pointed to old emails where Zuckerberg admitted Instagram was growing fast. In one 2012 message, he mentioned wanting to “neutralize” Instagram. The FTC called this a key piece of evidence, even calling it a “smoking gun.”
Meta Responds Strongly
Meta’s lawyers said the FTC’s case is unfair. They argued that both acquisitions were reviewed and approved in the past. The company says it bought Instagram and WhatsApp to improve them, not to destroy competition.
Instagram and WhatsApp’s Huge Value
The FTC also claims Meta overpaid to buy its rivals—$1 billion for Instagram and $19 billion for WhatsApp. The agency says this was a defensive strategy to kill competition.
Meta’s User Base and Revenue
Meta has over 3.27 billion daily active users across its platforms. Instagram alone is expected to bring in more than half of Meta’s ad revenue in the US by 2025, according to research from Emarketer.
Meta’s Political Ties Raise Eyebrows
Meta has made efforts to maintain a good relationship with Donald Trump. The company gave $1 million to Trump’s inauguration and added Trump allies like Dana White and Dina Powell McCormick to its board in 2025. It also paid Trump $25 million to settle a lawsuit after banning his account post-Capitol riot.
Did Meta Try to Influence the FTC?
Reports from the Wall Street Journal claim Zuckerberg recently visited the White House to ask Trump for help in getting the case dropped. When asked, Meta didn’t confirm but said, “The FTC’s lawsuits against Meta defy reality.”
This Isn’t the Only Big Tech Trial
Meta’s trial comes while another major antitrust case—USA vs. Google—is ongoing. In that case, a judge already ruled Google has a monopoly in online search, with a 90% market share.
Can the FTC Really Win Against Meta?
Experts say the FTC’s case is harder to prove than the one against Google. Business law professor Laura Phillips-Sawyer says it’s not easy to show Meta’s actions were harmful because there’s more competition in the social media space than in search engines.
Other Tech Giants Under Fire Too
Meta isn’t alone. Amazon and Apple are also facing antitrust cases by US regulators. These cases are part of a larger effort to regulate how tech giants operate and grow.
