US judge rules Meta did not violate antitrust laws with Instagram and WhatsApp purchases

A US district judge in Washington has ruled that Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, did not violate antitrust laws when it acquired Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014. The decision marks a significant loss for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which had sued Meta in 2020, arguing that the company’s acquisitions led to a monopoly in social media. Judge James Boasberg concluded that Meta does not hold a monopoly in the relevant market, and that the FTC failed to provide sufficient evidence to prove its claim. He also noted that both Instagram and WhatsApp were approved by the FTC at the time of their acquisitions, and that Meta’s market share has been shrinking due to increasing competition from platforms like TikTok and YouTube. Meta welcomed the ruling, stating that it faces intense competition in the social media sector. The ruling prevents the potential breakup of Meta, which could have involved separating Instagram and WhatsApp from Facebook. Despite this, the FTC has not ruled out appealing the decision. This ruling follows previous setbacks for the US Department of Justice in its attempts to break up Google, and it may impact future antitrust cases against major tech companies.