Overview

• The FTC argues that Meta's acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp created a social media monopoly, seeking divestiture to restore competition.
• Meta maintains that these acquisitions fostered innovation and competition, citing rivals like TikTok, YouTube, and Apple's iMessage as evidence of a competitive market.
• Expert witness Jihoon Rim testified that WhatsApp posed a significant competitive threat to Meta, with internal documents revealing concerns about its scalability into a broader social network.
• The trial hinges on defining the personal social networking market under the Sherman Act, with the FTC needing to prove that Meta's dominance harms competition and consumers.
• Key figures, including Mark Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg, and Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom, have testified, while internal emails and strategic memos are presented as evidence of anticompetitive intent.