The Federal Trade Commissionis seeking to revive its case accusingFacebookparent companyMeta Platformsof bolstering an illegal monopoly by acquiring Instagram and WhatsApp, the FTC’s spokesperson said on Tuesday.
The case is part of a crackdown on Big Tech that PresidentDonald Trumpstarted during his first term. Despite a ruling last year dismissing the case, “our position has not changed,”FTCspokespersonJoe Simonsonsaid.
“Metaviolated our antitrust laws when it acquiredInstagramandWhatsApp. Consequently, American consumers have suffered fromMeta’s monopoly,” Simonson said.
FacebookboughtInstagramin 2012 andWhatsAppin 2014. TheFTCdid not seek to block the deals at the time, but sued in 2020 alleging thatMeta, then known asFacebook, held a monopoly onU.S.platforms used to share content with friends and family.
The agency sought to forceMetato restructure or sellInstagramandWhatsAppto restore competition, saying the company spent billions of dollars on the acquisitions to eliminate nascent competitors. U.S. District JudgeJames BoasberginWashingtonruled in November that the company does not hold a monopoly now because it faces competition from TikTok.
“The District Court’s decision to reject theFTC’sarguments in this matter is correct – and it recognizes the fierce competition we face.Metawill remain focused on innovating and investing in America,”MetaspokespersonAndy Stonesaid in a post on social media site X on Tuesday.
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