Zuckerberg denies FTC claims of Meta monopoly in antitrust trial

The Federal Trade Commission’s antitrust trial against tech conglomerate Meta began Monday with CEO Mark Zuckerberg taking the stand in defense of his company owning Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The FTC sued Meta in 2020, alleging that the social media giant illegally maintained a social network monopoly. Prosecutors described Meta’s acquisition of Instagram and WhatsApp as anticompetitive, alleging the company only purchased the platforms to quash competition from the up-and-coming rivals. Regulators petitioned for Meta to break Instagram and WhatsApp from the Meta group.

What did Zuckerberg say? Prosecutors questioned the CEO about an email he sent before the 2012 Instagram acquisition, in which he described his aim to neutralize a growing competitor. Prosecutors also pointed to internal communication before the 2014 purchase of WhatsApp, where Zuckerberg described the text messaging app as a risk to the company. Zuckerberg argued that Meta purchased the platforms to develop them, not to kill competitors. Meta invested a ton into both platforms and has since helped them grow exponentially, he testified. Zuckerberg defended his internal comments, insisting they were made very early in the conversation around purchasing the apps.

Meta’s chief legal officer, Jennifer Newstead, described the FTC’s case as weak and unrealistic in a Sunday statement. The FTC’s trial evidence will show what every teenager in the world knows: that Meta faces ample competition from other social networking rivals like YouTube, TikTok, and X, among others, she said. Newstead also noted that the FTC approved Meta’s purchase of the apps over a decade ago. Regulators should be supporting American innovation instead of looking to break up a strong American company, she added.

Dig deeper: Read Elizabeth Russell’s report on a congressman demanding Zuckerberg separately testify about a Meta whistleblower’s China allegations.