On Thursday, Meta requested a federal judge to dismiss the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) case accusing the company of antitrust violations. They contended that the FTC has not adequately demonstrated that Meta holds a monopoly in personal social networking or that its purchases of Instagram and WhatsApp were anti-competitive.
The argument from Facebook’s parent company is that these acquisitions were made to enhance their services and better compete with various innovative and formidable rivals. “Meta has indeed created two highly successful mobile applications that cater to nearly half of the global population for free,” they emphasized.
The FTC originally sued Meta in 2020, alleging that the firm sought to consolidate its position in the market through the acquisitions of Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014. Reports indicated that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg had tried to negotiate a settlement with the Trump administration right before the trial began last month, where he was the first witness and testified for three days.
However, weeks after the trial, Meta pointed out that the government has not established that it monopolizes social networking, noting that their services remain free and of high quality. They also criticized the FTC’s definition of the personal social networking market, suggesting it was too limited, given the competition from platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and iMessage.
Meta labeled the FTC’s proposed market as fictional and claimed recent data contradicts the idea that sharing among friends and family limits competition from others like YouTube and TikTok.
The company defended its acquisitions, arguing that both Instagram and WhatsApp have significantly contributed to the competitive landscape. As the FTC wraps up its case, Meta is preparing for a decisive moment that could lead to serious implications, including the possibility of a breakup.
