US EditionMeta Wins Landmark Antitrust Case over Instagram, WhatsApp ...
Judge finds FTC failed to prove monopoly due to evolving market and competition from TikTok and YouTube, sparing Meta from divesting Instagram and WhatsApp.
- On Tuesday, Chief Judge James E. Boasberg ruled that Meta Platforms does not hold a monopoly in personal social networking, ending the FTC's effort to force Meta to divest Instagram and WhatsApp.
- Market shifts since five years ago show the personal social networking market blurred, with Meta Platforms, TikTok, and YouTube now substitutes that weaken the FTC's narrow definition.
- Reports show Americans now spend only 17% of Facebook time on friends' posts and 7% on Instagram, while Meta's push of Reels reduces ad load and revenue, and WhatsApp falls outside the PSN market.
- Agency officials signaled they are reviewing options after the ruling, with the Federal Trade Commission saying it was "deeply disappointed in this decision" after suing in December 2020 and filing an amended case.
- Viewed alongside recent rulings such as Google's, the verdict suggests courts' approach to antitrust cases against Big Tech is evolving, with Boasberg's opinion emphasizing that `With apps surging and receding, chasing one craze and moving on from others, and adding new features with each passing year, the FTC has understandably struggled to fix the boundaries of Meta's product market`.
15 Articles
15 Articles
U.S. commercial authority is subject to trial: According to the verdict, Techgigant Meta has no monopoly on social media. Google, Apple and Amazon, who are running similar proceedings, should calm this down.
Judge Boasberg Rules Meta Not an Illegal Monopoly
Judge James Boasberg has rejected the FTC's antitrust lawsuit against Mark Zuckerberg's Meta, allowing the company to retain its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp. Boasberg is facing articles of impeachment filed this month over his role in the
Federal judge rules Meta not a social networking monopoly
A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the social technology company Meta does not hold a monopoly in the “personal social networking” (PSN) market, in the antitrust case Federal Trade Commission v. Meta Platforms, Inc. Meta will therefore not have to sell its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp. Chief Judge James E. Boasberg of the US District Court for the District of Columbia stated in a memorandum opinion that “[w]hile it once might have made…
The Facebook parent company does not have to sell the services.
Meta wins landmark antitrust case over Instagram, WhatsApp ...
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 83% of the sources lean Left
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
