Overview
- U.S. District Judge James Boasberg ruled the FTC did not meet its burden after a seven-week trial, entering judgment for Meta.
- The decision rejects forced divestitures, so Instagram and WhatsApp remain part of Meta.
- Boasberg found TikTok competes directly with Meta’s apps and noted that, even without YouTube, TikTok alone defeats the FTC’s market theory.
- The opinion highlights shifts to AI‑driven short‑form video and user substitution patterns, with Meta’s share of time in social media described as modest and declining.
- The FTC can appeal but has not said what it will do, as the loss is widely viewed as a setback for U.S. efforts to unwind past Big Tech deals.