U.S. Judge Rejects FTC Antitrust Case Against Meta Over Instagram and WhatsApp

Overview

• U.S. District Judge James Boasberg ruled the FTC did not prove Meta’s Instagram and WhatsApp acquisitions created or maintained an illegal monopoly.
• The court emphasized the difficulty of defining a fast‑changing social‑media market and cited competition from platforms like TikTok and YouTube.
• The ruling noted that users now see a minority of friend content on Meta’s apps, with only about 17% on Facebook and 7% on Instagram, reflecting shifts toward short‑video feeds.
• The FTC’s 2020 lawsuit led to a seven‑week trial that began in April, featuring testimony from Mark Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg and executives from rival platforms.
• Meta’s shares pared losses after the decision, trading down 1.1% at $595.22 at 12:46 p.m. in New York, as the outcome marked a setback for federal antitrust enforcement while cases against Amazon and Apple continue.