A landmark antitrust trial against Meta began on Monday, with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alleging that the company unlawfully stifled competition by acquiring Instagram and WhatsApp.
The FTC claims Meta chose to eliminate rivals instead of competing, noting that the company overpaid for Instagram in 2012 ($1 billion) and WhatsApp in 2014 ($19 billion), Reuters reported.
Meta defended its position by claiming that the FTC had already authorized these purchases and that YouTube and TikTok are competitors.
A decision in the FTC's favor would cause Meta to disband, which might compel CEO Mark Zuckerberg to sell up Instagram and WhatsApp. The trial will probably last for a few weeks, and both Zuckerberg and former COO Sheryl Sandberg are anticipated to testify.
