Overview
- U.S. District Judge James Boasberg ruled on Nov. 18 that the FTC failed to prove Meta currently holds monopoly power in social networking.
- The opinion found TikTok and, in many analyses, YouTube belong in the relevant market, with the judge noting TikTok alone would defeat the FTC’s case.
- The multiweek bench trial this spring featured testimony from Mark Zuckerberg and other current and former Meta executives about strategy and competition.
- Boasberg emphasized rapid market shifts toward algorithmic short‑form video, citing data that friend content now represents a small share of time on Facebook and Instagram.
- The ruling is a significant setback for the FTC’s effort to unwind older tech mergers; the agency can appeal, even as Meta touts fierce competition across social platforms.