End of an Era: Will Zuckerberg Lose Instagram & WhatsApp?

The future of social media could face a significant change as a pivotal antitrust trial has kick started in Washington. Reports from BBC state that, Facebook's parent company, Meta, is being sued by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for allegedly suppressing competition through the acquisition of Instagram and WhatsApp. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg may be forced to sell both platforms, if the FTC wins. This might potentially lead to splitting the tech giant’s powerful environment.

FTC states that Meta acquired Instagram to eliminate competition and not to improve its services. Legal experts say Zuckerberg’s past statements – like saying its “better to buy than compete” – may be used as evidence of Meta’s intent. Professor Rebecca Haw Allensworth of Vanderbilt Law School says that the internal emails could potentially dig out something big regarding the issue.

Meta is expected to fight against these acquisitions and present evidence showing the growth of the Instagram platform has been significant thanks to Meta’s resources. Meta does not seem very happy about FTC’s decision to reopen the already-approved deals and is confident that the judgment will go in their favor.

What’s a tech case without Politics? Initially brought under Donald Trump's presidency, the matter may become contentious during his second term. According to reports, Zuckerberg personally urged Trump to abandon the case. The firing of two democratic FTC commissioners has raised political intervention in independent agencies.

Given the greater competition from TikTok, YouTube, and other platforms, Meta's argument might be more difficult to prove than Google's dominance in internet search. A tough legal dispute is expected to run for weeks together, with both Zuckerberg and Former Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg set to testify.