Key Takeaways
- Meta went to court Monday against the Federal Trade Commission in a landmark antitrust case.
- If the trial ends in the FTC’s favor, Meta could be forced to sells apps such as Instagram and WhatsApp.
- Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has reportedly sought help from the Trump administration in resolving the case.
Meta (META) went to court Monday against the Federal Trade Commission in a landmark antitrust case that could force the social media titan to sell off Instagram or WhatsApp.
The FTC’s complaint, originally filed in 2021, alleges Meta engaged in an “illegal buy-or-bury scheme to maintain its dominance” and “acquired innovative competitors with popular mobile features that succeeded where Facebook’s own offerings fell flat or fell apart.”
If the trial ends in the FTC’s favor, Meta could be forced to break up its social media holdings by selling off apps such as Instagram or the social messaging platform WhatsApp.
Meta CEO Zuckerberg Seeks Trump Administration’s Help To Resolve Case
The trial comes a couple weeks after Zuckerberg reportedly visited the White House to seek President Donald Trump’s help to resolve the FTC case, according to reporting from the New York Times.
The Meta CEO has also looked to the administration for help in fighting against looming fines from the European Commission, according to reports.
In a statement over the weekend, Meta Chief Legal Officer Jennifer Newstead said, “it’s absurd that the FTC is trying to break up a great American company at the same time the Administration is trying to save Chinese-owned TikTok.”
Shares of Meta slid about 2% in recent trading Monday. The stock is down 9% so far in 2025.
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