Meta Heads to Trial Over Instagram and WhatsApp Acquisitions

Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, is preparing to defend itself in a landmark antitrust trial that could reshape the future of the tech industry. At the heart of the case is the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) accusation that Meta built an illegal monopoly by acquiring Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014 moves allegedly designed to crush potential competition before it could grow.

The FTC argues that these multi-billion-dollar acquisitions were not merely business expansion but deliberate efforts to eliminate threats to Facebook’s dominance in personal social networking. The agency filed the lawsuit in 2020 and now seeks to unwind the deals, potentially forcing Meta to sell off Instagram and WhatsApp.

The trial, starting Monday in Washington, is considered a crucial test of the government’s willingness to regulate Big Tech under the new Trump administration.

Meta Pushes Back: “Case Is Weak and Misguided”

Meta’s Chief Legal Officer, Jennifer Newstead, dismissed the FTC’s claims as unfounded, saying the case undermines innovation and threatens to disrupt American businesses.

“It’s absurd that the FTC wants to break up a successful American company while the administration is trying to ban a Chinese-owned competitor like TikTok,” she wrote in a blog post.

Meta maintains that its past acquisitions have brought value to users, emphasizing growing competition from platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Apple’s messaging services.

Zuckerberg to Take the Stand

CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify, facing scrutiny over past internal emails where he discussed acquiring Instagram to neutralize a competitive threat and expressed concerns over WhatsApp’s potential.

The trial will likely examine how consumers use social platforms and whether Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp are interchangeable with other apps such as Snapchat, X (formerly Twitter), or Reddit.

Losing Instagram could be a severe blow to Meta. Advertising analytics firm Emarketer estimated Instagram would generate over $37 billion in ad revenue in 2025 more than half of Meta’s total U.S. advertising income. Instagram also leads in revenue per user compared to all other social platforms.

While WhatsApp contributes less in terms of direct revenue, it holds Meta’s largest user base and is central to the company’s future plans for business messaging and chatbot monetization.

If the FTC succeeds in this trial, a second phase would determine the remedies, which could include breaking up Meta’s assets. The outcome could also influence similar antitrust cases underway against other tech giants including Amazon, Apple, and Google.

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg has allowed the trial to proceed, acknowledging the FTC presented sufficient evidence—but warned the agency faces tough questions in court.

With the trial expected to stretch into July, the stakes couldn’t be higher for Meta or the broader tech industry.