US tech giant Meta has secured a major legal victory in the long-running antitrust battle over its acquisitions of WhatsApp and Instagram. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which filed the lawsuit in 2020, argued that Meta had unlawfully strengthened its dominance in the social media market by purchasing its rivals. However, a federal court has now dismissed these claims.
Judge James Boasberg of the Washington District Court ruled that the FTC failed to provide sufficient evidence to support its allegations. The commission had claimed that Meta held a monopoly in the “personal social networking” market and had acquired Instagram and WhatsApp to preserve this dominance. The court rejected this interpretation, saying it did not align with the current competitive landscape.
“Whether Meta possessed monopoly power in the past or not, the FTC must prove that the company still holds such power today,” Boasberg noted in his written decision. “The court finds that the FTC has not met this burden of proof.” As a result, the court concluded that Meta does not hold a monopolistic position in the relevant market.
Meta’s acquisitions have long been a focal point in discussions about competition in the tech industry. The company purchased Instagram for $1 billion in 2012 and WhatsApp for $19 billion in 2014 — transactions that significantly reshaped the social media ecosystem. The FTC contended that these moves illegally stifled competition, but the court’s latest ruling indicates that the company did not violate antitrust laws.
This decision stands as a significant precedent not only for Meta but also for other major tech firms facing growing regulatory scrutiny. With competition intensifying in the digital world, the ruling may influence how future antitrust cases against technology conglomerates unfold.