Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg took the stand Monday in a landmark antitrust trial that could reshape the social media landscape in the United States.
The Federal Trade Commission is seeking to break up Meta’s empire, arguing that the company acquired Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014 to eliminate competition and preserve its dominance.
Filed during former President Donald Trump’s first term, the case accuses Meta—formerly Facebook—of building a monopoly on platforms used to share content with friends and family. The FTC says Meta’s actions created barriers for rivals and left consumers with few alternatives.
“This case is about protecting competition and restoring choice,” said FTC attorney Daniel Matheson. He argued that Meta’s acquisitions shut out competitors at a time when Facebook was struggling to adapt to mobile.
Zuckerberg is expected to face questions about internal emails where he discussed acquiring Instagram to “neutralize” it as a competitor, and his concern that WhatsApp could evolve into a rival social network. Meta maintains that both acquisitions benefited users and are no longer central in today’s competitive landscape dominated by TikTok, YouTube, and Apple’s iMessage.
Meta attorney Mark Hansen dismissed the FTC’s claims as outdated. “This case is a grab bag of theories at war with facts,” he said, pointing to users’ shift toward video content and time spent on TikTok-style features.
A loss for Meta could result in a forced divestiture of Instagram or WhatsApp—particularly damaging as Instagram is estimated to generate over half of Meta’s U.S. ad revenue, according to Emarketer.
The trial is expected to run into July, with wide-reaching implications not just for Meta but for ongoing antitrust scrutiny of Big Tech, including Amazon, Apple, and Google.
