Meta wins antitrust case against U.S. FTC

The case, initially filed by the FTC five years ago, centred on Meta’s acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp

Meta won its antitrust case against U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which had accused the company of holding a monopoly in social networking.

In a memorandum opinion released Tuesday, Judge James Boasberg of the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., said the FTC failed to prove its argument. The case, initially filed by the FTC five years ago, centred on Meta’s acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp.

Whether or not Meta enjoyed monopoly power in the past, though, the agency must show that it continues to hold such power now, Boasberg said in the filing. The Court’s verdict today determines that the FTC has not done so. A judgment so stating shall issue this day.

Boasberg dismissed the case in 2021, saying the agency didn’t have enough evidence to prove “Facebook holds market power.” In August of that year, the FTC filed an amended complaint with more details about the company’s user numbers and metrics relative to competitors like Snapchat, the now-defunct Google+ social network and Myspace.

After reviewing the amendments, Boasberg in 2022 ruled that the case could proceed, saying the FTC had presented more details than before.

We are deeply disappointed in this decision, said Joe Simonson, the FTC’s director of public affairs. The deck was always stacked against us with Judge Boasberg, who is currently facing articles of impeachment. We are reviewing all our options.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, former operating chief Sheryl Sandberg, Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom, and other current and former Meta executives all testified in the trial, which began in April.

The Court’s decision today recognizes that Meta faces fierce competition, the company’s chief legal officer Jennifer Newstead said in a statement. Our products are beneficial for people and businesses and exemplify American innovation and economic growth. We look forward to continuing to partner with the Administration and to invest in America.